Snow White, Snow white
by WinterierLionheart
Summary: Snow White falls for the wrong Prince Charming, or did she? Is Prince Charming really Wonderful or terrible? does one simple event in your life dictate who you are and the course of your storry? Modern Snow White storry.
1. Snow White's Sin

_Okay, this is my first story ever... well on here at least. Uhm, not much to say about this piece really. its a Snow White parody with credit to a few other stories._

_giving credit too Pioson Apple by Rockn Robin, i think that's the author...idk i just really like the story and thought it was terribly well wrtiten. also any ellements in thsi story that are similair too that story are also a parrody on that so i am giving credit agin Piosn apple good stuff, very, very well written, i give my feddora hat off to you. _

_okay death note, agians parody, i took the caracter of Light and of course if you can't tell after reading this i did change him...alot. i dont' own anythign of death note or poison apple. _

_oh, also disney and the grim brothers, thanks for Snow White. i lover her and i have her poster on my wall, and i also don't own her and agian this snow white is twisted quite a bit so agian parody. _

_anyway this story title is Snow White, there will be five parts too it each published as seperate storries._

Glass CoffinSeashell to Hold Your VoiceRoseStroke of MidnightOnce Upon a Dream

_Those are the five parts, if you notice each is froma differtent disney princesses, but my main Character is modled after Snow White so she gets the honor of the title. So if you don't notice this first one is Glass Coffin, sorry Poison Apple i couldn't think of anythign better, but anyway there are chapters in that which are also named. _

_Well i have nothing to say left so have at it. i will not be putting very many AN on this so don't freak, this is probably the longest one it will have. Oh, and if you find any mistakes please tell me, for a freshman in college i really suck at grammar so a note on what is wrong would be taken as helpful. P.s. please no haters._

_Snow White's Sin_

6/19/2009 9:57 PM

My slim form trudged up the subway stairs with ease, as I bundled in my long black coat to make my way to the place I'd be spending the rest of the day. My long coal colored hair blew back a bit as the cold air from emerging to the surface hit my face. I shivered my pale complexion and winced my light gray eyes as the air pierced through my coat and gripped me. I tightened my folded arms around my frail frame. I shivered in my long black coat. It was a practical coat very stylish in its own way. The inside had a chic gray silk inlay and two discreet inside pockets on either side. I stopped at my building. That beautiful gray over caste of New York alighted the structure and its windowed face. It was formed of pale lifeless stones, reminding me of the ancient marble sculptures and buildings of Greece, just these were in a very downtown New York flare of style. I sighed before I stepped to the door and opened it the glass surface of it flashing back that bright sudden flicker of the foreboding sun that seemed to never touch down here on ground level. The door reflected the bright absorbing light away from me as I took a step in and let the warm air of the building engulf me. I let my arms down, out of my tight embrace of myself. I looked across the bland front office. A larger built dark skinned women in a bright dress, her frizzy hair in a tight bun on the top of her head and bright red lipstick looked up at me through small spectacles. A second later she spoke in her ever-loud voice.

"Your skinny little butte is late." Marge informed me.

I looked at her, my pale complexion and slim long features locking her in. "Not if you don't tell the boss I'm not."

She sighed before handing me a stack of papers. I smile as I go around the desk to the main computer. It was a touch screen and easy to access.

"Another day, another dollar." Marge reminded me as I walked over. My fingers tapped the screen lightly. I finished clocking in my number before I turned to her.

"I honestly, do not get paid enough to work here." I said.

"You got that right, girl." The older black woman who had worked there as long as anyone could remember said. I never knew what it was about her, if it was her black culture upbringings or just the way she was, but it was always as if she treated you like family. Like she always had this tough love for you that would endure ages. She'd tell you straight up on anything you asked her over and more importantly she told you, you were an idiot when you were one and was acting like one, she always did it with love though.

Where do I work you may ask, a graphic design company. I'm an artist. I just cant' bring myself to starve. So I got a job. It's a crappy job. I work in a low rate logo design company. It's really simple we make logos and they pay us about a dollar a logo. It sucks.

I continued to the stairs where I half jogged up them emerging on the first office floor. I looked around at the other thirty graphic designers in the room. Allot of them staring at their monitors all transfixed by their current project. I sighed yet again this was the last place I really wanted to be, but it was better then at home doing nothing. I walked to my desk. A black chair, a Mac computer, lamp, and a whole lot of paper strewn everywhere. It was a total mess. A chaotic mess that some how in my eyes was organized, a in a weird artsy way that I guess should have scared me, but it didn't. I set the black handbag on my desk and turned just in time to be cornered.

Tom, one word suffices when it comes to him…ewwww. Slicked back poorly dyed black hair and cold lifeless eyes that stare at you in just that creepy way. That was just his appearance the feeling he gave off was almost toxic. It engulfed, and it was like human repellant. Every other human just stayed clear. It was dark and creepy and just made you shrink away from him as if he was a rotting corpse. To sum it all up he just was really, really uncomfortable to be around.

"Mr. Jefferson needs you to run an errand." He said holding out a small piece of paper. I snatched the paper and answered swiftly.

"Will do." I smile a cheesy smile, grabbing my bag, and left. I looked down at the paper as I went.

_Tylenol_

I smiled as I read it I could get it at any drug store. I strode out the doors and into the cold lonely New York weather. I clasped my long black coat to me as a gust of wind hit me, for March it was absolutely freezing. The streets were crowded as always as I made my way to the corner drug store. I loved New York. Crowded, lonely, town that it was. It was the embodiment of everything I had ever been taught. I have no parents, of course, so I mean by my aunts Lucinda and Jet. I had lived here since I was twelve and old enough to hold a job. My world here fit me just fine. As I walked I admired the beauty of my city. The cold cement under my feet and the tall looming building blocking out the sun casting a grayish blue color over the sprawling city. That way that every New Yorker looked out for number one added its bits to the blue hue. It shouted of a cold lonely existence that was to be mine. It was beautiful and chaotic and completely unpredictable in it's predictability. I stopped at the edge of the street waiting for a taxi to go past until I jogged across. It was a lover, a long lasting lover that I had been around and new so well it never ceased to amaze and surprise me.

As I reached the old broken down convenience store I looked up at the old sign above the door. Al's had always owned this corner. It would be sad the day the old man died, the day this store was forced to sell out to a Walgreen's. Progress at its worst, tearing at the timeless piece of art here on the corner. Tearing through the cool feeling of being in a much more opportune time, a time when there was an American dream. The store was like a tie warp it provided a very brisk fantasy of almost a small town drug store, a small ton where gangs don't' exist, and the stains of a modern new millennia city has never touched. It was that little bit of hope, but more of nostalgia, that was needed here just to remind us of how we should look at eh world and how this city should be, but sadly wasn't.

I pulled the door open the small bell above my head chimed a wonderful sound as I entered. I smiled seeing the old man at the counter. I looked around the small store full of rows of odds and ends. It was particularly small with barely room for the counter for the register, four long rows of merchandise, and the freezers that lined the walls, with drinks. I went past all the first row being full of candy and to the next row. This was where all the medicine. I stopped looking over my choices.

The bell rang distantly. I turned at the soft sound to look at the doors. Two men entered. Both tall close to my age, 19-20, years old maybe. The first strode in with confidence leading the other on. It was a bit hurried like he just wanted to leave, as the other more cautiously entered looking around like he was scared to even be there. The first looked back making sure his companion was following him. He was taller then the other with light brunette hair. Strong features and a broad, but not overly so, build. His companion was well, odd. He had a hunched cautious posture and way of carrying himself that foiled the more confident ones way of being. They were total opposites. The scared looking one opposed to the other, had a lot thicker and wild cold and matte black hair. It hid most of his face from view but it was clear he had dark eyes and very sharp features.

They strode through the first isle and came around to the one I was standing in. I watched them for a second as the light haired found what they were looking for. I turned away blushing. They clearly weren't here for Tylenol.

"Well?" I looked up again at the sound of one of the young men's voice. The brunette was looking at the darker one. He had a strong voice as he addressed him, it was also slightly frustrated. The other looked nervously from him to the condoms in front of him.

The darker opened his mouth then closed it deciding against answering looking back to the shelves.

"Ryuzaki this isn't that hard of a decision." The lighter haired said folding his arms.

"Well…I'm not quite sure what to get." The others voice was—cold, lifeless, emotionless. "Do you know what Mimi would want?" he looked eagerly to his companion.

The other signed and looked frustrated. "Ryuzaki, she is not my girlfriend. I have no idea, what she would want."

I was blushing harder as finally I just decided to grab an extra strength and leave. I nabbed the red box and turned to the exit to the isle on the side closest to the door, just in time to see someone else enter. The small chime of the bell, marking their entrance. The two men had I guess what you would call a swagger. Not gangster glamour just that _feel_. It was darkening and it detoured me. I looked at them and back over to the two others in the store. The lighter haired one had finally just grabbed a box and was holding it out at the one he called Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki peered at it a second before the lighter haired one shoved it at him as he walked past forcing the darker to take the box. The other two men were coming down the first isle. They were eyeing me extremely. They both had beanies and big gangster-want-to-be looking coats. I sucked in an extra breath and turned around again to follow the other two men to the counter.

The taller light haired one seemed to notice it as he fell in behind his companion and on my side putting himself between the isle opening and me. He watched the other two men as he touched his friend's shoulders and gestured for me to go first. I smiled at him, grateful for his courtesy. In those few seconds his chivalry hit me a bit. This was New York no one was chivalrous. I smile to my self, of course, a knight right here in New York. I didn't think knights wore _Etnies_ and _Quick Silver_.

"Hello Mr. Green." I said as I set the box on the counter.

He smiled at me. "Hello Joan," he says as he rings up the Tylenol. I always like to look at the old man that owned this drugstore. I had no clue whether his name really was Al, but I never bothered to ask. Since the first time I had opened the door into this store he had been Mr. Green. The old widower that owned the small store. His white hair and gray mustache seemed to frame his smiling face; he was always courteous and always kind. Soft eyes and a soft voice always ready to give a compliment or comfort, even when he didn't know he was doing so. "Is that it for you today?"

I smiled. "At least for this trip it is." I pulled my black handbag onto the counter and opened it rummaging for the money to pay him. As I did so I caught movement in my peripheral vision.

The two men were coming fast up the isle as I handed the old man a ten. He was ringing it up as I turned just in time to see a gun in my face. The other one pointed one at Mr. Green. Of course. It was nothing less than I had expected. I always went with what people made me feel and they didn't make me feel right. They were just a couple of low rate druggies with no money for their next fix.

"Not a word, sweetheart." The one in front of me threatened. I nodded holding my hands up slightly. It was best to cooperate. I wasn't stupid, I'd rather loose my money than loose my life.

The other hoisted a duffle bag on to the counter knocking my bag off to skittering on to the floor. "Open the till and put all the money in it!" he ordered, loudly.

I glanced over at Mr. Green. His jaw set defiantly. Before he said, holding himself tall, in his soft voice with a slight German accent. "No."

"What was that old man?" the assailant said pointing the gun closer to Mr. Green's face.

"No, you want money go get it the same way we all do, working one day at a time." I gulped, looking at the old man.

"Don't be stupid." I whispered, to myself hoping Mr. Green would just give in.

"What was that sweetie!" I was brought back to the man in front of me.

"Sorry." I said and looked down quickly.

"That's right!" he spat at me, and then turned to his partner. "Shoot the old man and let's get the money and go."

"Ross." The other said.

"Keeves just shoot him!"

"I…" the other looked back to Mr. Green still standing defiant. He lowered the gun a bit.

"Shoot him!"

He raised it again looking the old man in the eyes. Then he let his arm down. "I can't man, I just can't."

"Fine," the other spat and pointed the gun and fired. Time stopped as I watched the bullet hit the old man in the chest. Blood sprayed out on impact and the old man was knocked against the opposite counter, before slumping, his lifeless form falling to the ground. I turned back as all hell broke loose. Another shot was fired at me I realized. I let out a gasp as suddenly the light brunette haired boy knocked me to the ground. His face was contorted in pain. My eyes widened as I looked at the mess of blood all over his light blue shirt. He lay on me the shot had hit him in the copse of his shoulder. He took in a shallow breath and I reacted pulling his shirt and hauling both of us across the floor and on the other side of the counter. I looked up and under the counter was a red button. I smashed my thumb against it and an alarm sounded. As it did another shot and several sounds of a fight were heard before another shot. A second later the darker haired friend scrambled around the counter to us.

"Light!" he gasped, seeing his friend leaning against me bleeding. "I'll go get help!" he exclaimed. He didn't move. I waited. He still wasn't moving. He was just starring at the bullet hole in his friend's chest.

I looked at him as he just crouched there in shock. It was as if he was the one that was shot! He was just frozen. "Hey!" I snapped him back to life. His onyx eyes shifted to me. They were pitless dark pools. He had deep fatigued dark circles under those wide black orbs. "Go!" I said.

"Oh, yeah." He said, before scrambling out and I heard the ring of the bell as he skidded out the door. I reached up and pressed the red button again and the loud resounding sound of the alarm stopped. I moved leaning the bleeding boy against the cabinets. He was breathing sharp and very quickly. I looked him over; I was crouched in front of him, and held my hands out not sure of what to do. He looked down at me before giving a breathy laugh.

I looked around before saying anything. I didn't find any of this funny. "What?"

Suddenly he smiled. It was—beautiful. I finally looked at his eyes. They were honey, they were beautiful smooth honey, and his smile was perfect touching them, wrapping them in and blasting beauty out like a laser beam from star wars—laser beam heck this was the death star of absolute god-made beautiful. It was absolutely, wonderful. He gave another short breathy laugh before he answered in a low voice. "You know, I pictured this differently." He stopped taking a deep breath. "I wasn't supposed to get shot while saving you."

I smiled too at that. "Yeah, I guess your plan back fired a bit."

He smiled yet again making my heart rate increase. "Well, at least, I tried."

I smiled too.

Then I heard rustling sounds. I peered out from the counter and sharply turned back.

"What?" the guy asked.

"One of them is still alive." I said.

He furrowed his brow, and before I could stop him, planted his feet, braced his weight on the counter behind him and slid up looking over the top of counter. He came back down after a second giving a groan of pain. I started, my hands flying to do something to try to stop the pain. I hesitated before my hand went to put pressure on the wound. "Nah!" he let out as I did. My hand shot back the same second now red with his blood.

"No," he said looking up at me, "it's okay, it just hurts."

I took in a ragged breath. "I don't—" I shook my head vigorously. "I don't know what to do."

"It's okay." His honey eyes shined as he looked at me. "I'm sure the paramedics will be here soon. Ryuzaki went to get help, remember, someone will be here to help."

"What if you're dead by then!" I exclaim.

He let out a sharp breath before he spoke. "I won't die." As he said it, I looked down at the mess of his shirt. The blood was everywhere. It was starting to form a pool on the floor even.

I shook my head. "We can't wait, I have to try to help you." I said. "There are first aid supplies some where in here; I'm going to go get some." I said and tried turning just as his hand caught my arm.

"No, he's still alive. He possibly still has a gun." He whispered.

"I'll be fine." I said and pulled out of his grasp. I heard a frustrated groan out of him.

I stood slowly. I slowly walked out from behind the counter. The man that had refused to shoot Mr. Green was sprawled across the floor in front of the door. Blood was pooling and rapidly expanding across the floor. He was face down; I looked away quickly.

"Hey!" I jumped as I heard the ruff voice. "Help me!" the man demanded me. He was leaning against a rack holding the side of his abdomen. Blood was laced through his fingers and dripping from his puffed up jacket. His eyes burned at me, infuriated and violent. I quickly looked around for the gun. One of them was still in the hand of the man that was dead, the other opposite of the one that was still alive. I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Hey!" He spat at me again.

I ignored him walking swiftly over to the gun lying near the first isle. I picked it up, then went, and set it on the counter well out of his reach. I then proceeded to the med's again. I walked along the isle looking for anything that would help.

"I need help!" I heard another growl. I considered yelling at him to shut up. I reminded myself the cops would be here soon….they'd at least shut him up.

I scanned the eye drops, reading glasses, aspirin bottles to finally the first aid stuff. Several small kits were on the top shelf, but I passed them up uninterested in something I had to pry open. With my luck Mr. Bright Eyes would be dead before I got the stupid box open; child proof was stupid. I scanned down a couple of shelves before finding some stuff I could use. I grabbed Goss, tweezers, Goss pads, cleansing alcohol, and a packet of big Band-Aids—for lack of anything better. I peered over the shelf at where the dieing man should have been. He had stopped yelling at me to help him. My eyes widened as I looked at the blood stained spot. A slick trail stretched across stark white floor, it cut through the store, and it led to the bleeding villain nearing the gun in the other mans cold dead hand. I suddenly snapped my head to my guy. He was reaching for the gun on the counter. He had some how gotten up enough to lean against the cash register and was reaching for it.

Bang!

I ducked at the sound of it. And the shot was off anyway, to my right hitting the isle behind me. Several bottles of pills crashed to the floor and small white pills all littered around me.

"I said help me!" the man with the gun yelled. I couldn't see where my guy was or more importantly if he had the gun yet.

Bang!

I jumped back at a closer call this time. I scrambled an isle back and hid as best I could.

"Bitch!" the man screamed. "I said help me!" he screamed again. I looked around I was in the toy isle now. There was a wooden bat a few feet from me.

Bang!

I jumped as the bullet hit one of the glass doors of the freezers all along the walls behind me. The shattering glass from the impact made me jump the most. I looked back to see what little was left of it.

"How am I supposed to help you if you keep shooting at me?" I whispered to myself turning my eyes back to watch in front of me, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Hey!" another angry roar.

"Hey." My head snapped up. This voice was different. It was smooth, smooth like honey. I breathed in relief and scrambled on my hands and knees to the edge of the isle. I looked past to see my guy. He supported himself with the counter his body using the duffle bag as a pillow to hold him up and his outstretched arm, the gun in hand pointing it straight at the attempted thief. I peered more over the edge to see the assailant had his gun still in his hand.

"Put the gun down." Smooth and sweet, he ordered, like a true soldier.

I heard the click as a hammer was pulled back. "You first." the assailant spat out. I looked around. The baseball bats! I crawled over the white floor smearing little bits of my guy's blood on to it. I pulled the wooden bat out of the bucket. I gripped it as best I could, crouched on my feet. I looked through the shelves to see the assailant's gun poised and raised to shoot. I scrambled to the other side of the isle, closest to the doors. I peered over the corner of the shelves. The assailant was right in front of the doors. Leaning on his partner's body and pointing his gun at my guy. I stood fully now. I looked over at my brunette haired guy. He looked so weak leaning limply across the counter, barely holding himself up to hold the gun.

Suddenly my head turned to the doors. The cops were finally here, lights flashing and sirens blaring. The two men before me barely noticed. As the men in uniform ran out of their cars and loudly stomped to the door the villain called out.

"Come in and I shoot him!" the police stopped. "That'll make three dead people then won't it? Oh, and there's a little lady in here too! I'll make sure she dies along with him!" he yelled, but didn't look behind him—didn't look in my direction.

"Now send in a paramedic or I shoot this guy right between the eyes!" he screamed out more demands. I raised the bat as I carefully stepped closer, trying to make no sound as I went.

"That or we could just let him bleed out! That's a chest wound he'll die long before me!" The sound of his voice was really starting to annoy me, I thought as I approached. I raised the bat higher as I took my last step.

"Hey, Jack Ass!" I exclaimed. He looked up just in time for my first blow to hit him square in the face. I felt the contact all the way up my arms to my shoulders jarring me as I felt the wood split and break across his face. Splinters flew as I saw blood soaring through the air, a cascade of crimson red. As the assailants limp body hit the floor in time with the red liquid creating a picture across the floor staining the stark white tile. I didn't think I could hit that hard.

I let the bat go as I realized how hard I had hit, mid-swing. It flew across the room skittering across the floor making a hollow wood sound upon hitting the tile. I watched it roll a bit to lightly tap the edge of the counter. My knees gave out and I crumbled to the ground. I was shaking and shivering as I followed the edge of the counter up and over to two honey-colored eyes. He looked at me as I sat there in the blood and just leaned against the wall. His straight auburn hair seemed to glow as a piece fell across his brow and over his eyes. He just starred through it at me his honey eyes swirling. He was still bleeding profusely and the gun was still in his hand, but he looked so amazing. From disheveled auburn hair to his blood stained white sneakers, he was absolutely amazing. He smiled then, as the police burst in. I smiled back. Then it was a rush of things all happening at once. A paramedic almost out of nowhere it seemed helped me to my feet.

I weakly got up as a latex gloved hand gripped my arm half hauling me up. I looked back to see two paramedics helping my guy. He caught my eye and smiled. I smiled back. We had made it, the two survivors of a robbery gone seriously wrong. But I wasn't scared. I wasn't feeling scared anymore. The paramedic helped me over the two dead men and out the door. From there it was to sit against the bumper of the ambulance as the paramedic started inspecting my condition.

"I'm fine." I said to what I think was a man. I didn't really know since I hadn't really looked at him even once. My eyes were on the door waiting for Mr. Bright Eyes to come strolling through. I half almost expected him to be in perfect health. Strong and confidant just as he had entered the building.

The paramedic stopped. He spoke I think for the first time, but I honestly wasn't sure. I hadn't been listening. "Is he your boyfriend?" It was a man! He had a guy's voice so it had to be a guy. Unless it wasn't and it was just a girl with an extremely deep manly voice…which I doubt.

I looked over. One point for me, it was a guy. "No," I said. "We're not. I just met him today."

I quickly looked back to the door. They were carrying a stretcher out. I rose up straightening my back to see if he was on it. I sighed from relief as I saw it was.

"Yeah you guys defiantly aren't together." The paramedic said, rolling his eyes.

I smiled. "We're not."

"Yet." He pointed out.

Then the stretcher had reached the ambulance. Honey color eyes looked up at me. "Hey," he said sweet and smooth, giving a slight smile. It was incredibly weak.

I smiled. "Hey." Mine sounded a lot more nervous than his did.

"Okay we're going to take you in the ambulance, you need surgery and really fast. And you ma'm are going to go in a dispatch car. You can talk to your boyfriend after we get the lead out of his chest." A blonde woman paramedic directed.

I opened my mouth to contradict her, but I didn't have time as they had him loaded and were piling in themselves. I just stood there another second before latex gloves pulled at me to the dispatch car.


	2. Simple Game of Chess

_Simply a Game of Chess_

The hospital was… hectic. I tried watching him as they wheeled him way. The second I walked through the door I was surrounded by nurses. Then their was the police all were asking questions and growling at me. I was saved by a nurse only to be surrounded and shuttled off again. Finally I was taken to a small examination room and thoroughly looked over by a dark skinned man-nurse as another much shorter blonde headed nurse quizzed me. She had a clipboard in hand reading the questions precisely word for word before looking up to me with big blue air headed eyes. The second I answered she wrote down my answer also seemingly word for word.

"Where are you bleeding?" her voice was incredibly monotone as she asked, might I add.

"That's not my blood."

The darker taller nurse pulled a blood pressure band on to my arm.

"Whose is it, then?"

"Did you not see the bleeding man that just flew in here? He was hard to miss, had about four doctors running with the stretcher he was on!"

"Stay still." The man nurse said. His voice was deep with a strong African accent. He pumped the small stress ball looking thing at the end for the tube connected to the band on my arm. It tightened up fast. He looked at the numbers before it released. He scribbled it down on a paper on a clipboard in his hand.

"Where does it hurt?"

"No where!"

"Are you sure?" this one she actually didn't read. Miraculous!

"Yes, I'm perfectly sure."

"Say Ahhh." The man-nurse directed after removing the blood pressure band. This time he was armed with a giant Popsicle stick.

"Ahhhhhhh." I said as he pressed my tongue down with the stick and then removed it scribbling away again.

"Were you harmed in anyway, by the assailant?" she was relentless. I rolled my eyes as I answered.

"No! I gave him a face lift with a baseball bat before he had a chance."

"Did the assailant grab you in anyway?"

"What? No." The dark nurse stuck a weird thermometer in my ear. It beeped—loud and obnoxiously—before he removed it, looked at it, and scribbled again.

"Did the assailant physically try to threaten you in anyway?" now the dark skinned nurse got the stethoscope out.

I gave a, duh, look over at her. "no." I said it emotionless and flat. The dark skinned nurse pressed the cold flat scope end to my wrist.

"Did the assailant rape you?"

I turned sharply at that. "No, he did not!" I said. I turned back to the other nurse. He looked amused, trying to hide a smile. I wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but decided against it thinking I'd be asked if that hurt at all by Goldie Locks over here. He moved the scope to my back.

"Breath in." he said as deeply and indifferently as ever.

I did as ordered.

"Breath out." I did.

"Did the assailant hit, kick and/or bite you at any time?"

"Did he bite me?" I said with skepticism. The nurse just waited for an answer. I shook my head. "No." I said sharply.

The scope moved to just under my collarbone.

"Breath in." I did.

After a few seconds. "Breath out." I did.

"Did the assailant stab you at any time?"

"You know, actually I do remember a good stabbing!" I said sounding like it was just a jolly dinner party or something

"Really?" Big blue excited eyes looked up at me. She sounded more overjoyed than I did.

"No." I said flatly.

"Oh," she said. She sounded incredibly disappointed. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you sure?" the dark skinned man-nurse asked. His dark eyes sparked with severe amusement.

"Ha-ha." I let out not even attempting a real laugh.

"Did the assailant appear to be sick in any way?"

"Would that be before or after I gave him the face lift?" I said looking down at the blonde nurse.

I wanted to laugh; she had a very deer in the headlights look. "Uhm…"

"Before." The darker nurse helped her out.

"Yeah, before!"

"No." I said.

"Okay." She said and then simply walked out. Watched as she went. A little odd. Usually people at least say good byre or something.

"Do you think I should have told her there was a back side to that sheet?" the dark nurse looked at me. My head turned from watching her walk to the front desk and over to stare at him, incredulously. He had a big wide grin. His stark white teeth shinned in contrast to his severely dark skin. He was quite possibly one of the darkest Africans I had ever seen in my life. And yet some how that just made his big smile all that much happier and bigger. I wondered briefly if I could count all of his perfect white teeth.

"Watch it or I'll call you a murse." I said, not smiling, not cracking, and staring at him square in the eye. The grin some how appeared to grow even wider, as impossible as that seemed.

He laughed heartily. I liked his laugh I decided. It was very light coming, but deep sounding. It made me want to laugh too, but I was to dead set on being annoyed at the moment to do so.

"Okay," he said then pulled the scope off his neck and stepped back. "You can go now."

"Thank you very much." I said snappily jumping off the crackly paper covered bench-bed-examination-table-thing. I'm afraid it didn't look very stylish or tough or anything along those lines. It's hard to be cool and stylish in hospitals. I think it's the smell. It just sorta sets everything off so you act normally off a bit and it just muddles everything up since it just all smells weird and it's the same smell. Doesn't matter on the hospital or the region or the doctors they all smell the same. It's like Cambles soup unless you provide your own salt and pepper every can tastes the same, and it's not amazingly so.

I strode out of the small room and stopped dead. The dark tall nurse stopped behind me.

A short auburn haired woman was yelling at the nurse at the front desk. "You tell me where my son is this instant!"

"Amy, calm down." This was a very tall broad shouldered man with severely graying hair standing near to her.

"Do not tell me to calm down!" she yells at him then back to the nurse. "My son was shot and he just came in here! Now if you don't tell me where he is this instant I will have you fired!" the scared red headed nurse just sorta stood there. The small Goldie Locks nurse with the questions was standing next to her. Neither of them looked like they knew what they should do.

I heard laughing behind me again. I turned glaring up at the tall African nurse. He looked down then to the desk and was still laughing.

"Murse." I mumbled as I sharply turned to the doors.

"Ma'm!" a young looking doctor in a tie called from the other side of the long front desk. I looked up. He motioned over. I looked around before he nodded at me and motioned again. I gave out a prolonged sigh and trudged over.

"Yes?" I said.

"Just updating you on your boyfriends condition." He said with a smile.

"He's not—" I started, but was interrupted as he just went on.

"The bullet luckily didn't cause any permeate damage. It will take a while to heal, of course, after the surgery—which has about an hour left by the way. When he's out one of the nurses will be glad to escort you to the ICU or if I'm around I'll just do it. Now he will be out for a while, Light had—"

"What!" I jumped at least a foot in the air as the nightmare I feared roared about ten inches to my face.

I will have to admit she looked a lot like him. The same color of hair and straightness in how it fell. It was clearly longer coming to her shoulders and curled under in a very mom hairstyle. The very mom dress she was wearing on her petite frame added to it, as her short frame seemed to charge me. Her slight features at some point may have looked very kind and loving, but they didn't at the moment. I wondered if I should shrink back and run from the little demon faced woman in front of me or if I should try and explain.

"You know about my son! Where is he?"

"I—" I had no clue what to say.

"Ma'm!" the young doctor scolded. "Please this is the patient's girlfriend."

"Actually—" I tried again.

"Oh, my dear." That face changed suddenly. It was a lot sweeter. Heck it was like a light switch. Are all mothers of son's like that? Cause if they are I'm going to have to make a point to A. never have son and B. stay out of their way when I recognize one. She looked to me. "Oh, I'm sorry we didn't know Light had a girlfriend now."

I shook my head vigorously. "Believe me please I'm not hi—"

She wasn't listening. "Where is my son!" she said to the young doctor. Click on! Demon face was back, but to my relief no longer glaring murderously at me.

"Ma'm it's all going fine, Light is still in the OR, but they have the bullet out and they're just fixing up so there will be as minimal damage as possible. He'll be under for about another hour and when he gets out we will come and tell you."

"You better." She said.

"Now, if you like you and—"

I just decided to cut in. "I'm not family."

It seemed like time stopped and the whole hospital looked at me. It's really a creepy feeling as several pairs of eyes turn to you. If it was a stage all lights would be shut off but the one over my head. And I couldn't remember a single word of my lines.

"You're his girlfriend." The doctor said in a way that implied I had a right to call myself family.

"Actually," I pointed out. "I'm not. I didn't even know his name until about a minute ago."

The petite lady next to me glared again. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I—he—"

"She possible saved his life!" the doctor cut in. Stop doing that! I can speak for myself.

"You saved my son's life?" she said looking at me with love again. Light switch!

"No—I—just hit a guy with a baseball bat." It was all that came to mind and subsequently all that came out of my mouth.

"She hit the man that shot your son." The doctor really wasn't helping at this point.

"You saved my son!" this was an exclamation as I was suddenly engulfed in a hug. I stopped and well gocked. The small petite woman was hugging me quite tightly. I didn't know how to react really. I stood there for a second before I raised my hand and patted her back gently.

"Uhm ma'm, I really didn't."

"Oh you saved my son!" she said as if I was one of her beloved children all of a sudden. She gave and extra little squeeze.

"Joan!" oh, no. I looked as the petite lady stepped back and I was faced with Marge. The forties-ish black woman that worked with me and lived on the same floor as I did came—wait a second she was jogging—I didn't know Marge could jog. Her very full size suddenly engulfed me and I was pulled into yet again another hug with the massive black lady. Then she held me at arms length and spoke a million miles an hour.

"Honey, when you didn't come back after about ten minutes I was so worried about jew' then when the police called and said that you were here in the hospital I thought I was gonna 'splode. Then they told me about how you were in that shooting and there was possibly a hold up and then you hit that guy and you saved the young man! His name was like Headlight or something—it reminded me of a hard ware store, I do remember that, but you saved him. Oh, honey," I was pulled into another hug. This was not helping my situation…nope not helping it at all. "Now don't you worry about a thing I got you the rest of the week off." Great now I'll have nothing to do the rest of the week. "And I called your aunties, they said they're flying in." my jaw hit the floor.

"You what?" This time it was my turn to glare.

"Oh, honey it's not a problem I called my family we'll take care of them while you're here. Oh, and don't you worry about anything I'm gonna have Theo bring by some food so you will be just fine, you won't have to eat any of this nasty food they got serving here." I was pulled into another hug. Then she noticed the other three people there. She finally let me go and I was properly allowed to breathe again.

"Oh, why hello," she said to Light's mother.

"Hello, I'm Lights mother, Amy and this is his father Tohma. It is so nice to meet you." The small woman said sweetly.

"And it is a pleasure to meet you, I'm Marge, I live just down from Joan and I make sure she survives since her aunts aren't liven' here and you know her mothers passed on."

"Oh, dearie me." Amy said. "Well why don't we just go into the waiting room and talk while we wait for Light to get out of surgery."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Marge said and the two women continued off to the waiting room. Lights poor and defenseless looking father tagging along after his wife. I just stood there, trying to some how take in what just happened. I watched them leaving and realized the young doctor was still standing there.

"So you'll come tell me when he's out?" I said.

"Yeah, you're not going in there are you?" he said looking over at the waiting room.

"Nope."

"Ah. You sure? His family seems to have accepted you already, even though you aren't his girlfriend. "

"Oh, well you see Marge is in there so there's not much point of me being in there too"

"I see." He said. "If you'd like we have a small garden just out the east doors."

"Oh, thank you, I'll probably go there." I said back.

"Alright then," he said nodding and left. I just stood there. I watched the bustling busy hospital. It amazed me of how in hospitals you think white, but no in fact the walls were always very homey colors—like tope. I just kept standing there. I guess I should have gone to the gardens or to a chair or something, but oddly enough I didn't fell like it. I wasn't sure really what to do. If I did what would I do? I'd just go to a chair and do what I'm doing now wondering what to do. I think I kind of like this spot. I could be creating a traffic jam though, maybe I should move—

"Would you like some coffee?" I looked over at the African accent. I looked up at a dark face and big white shinning grin. He was holding out a cup for me. I took it.

"Thank you," I said. I looked down at the dark steaming liquid. It looked warm and inviting. It also looked extremely black. Then I looked at him. "Do you have some sugar and cream, by chance?"

He smiled again, "Right over here." I followed him over to a small break room it looked like. At least someone besides me was being practical.

The small garden wasn't much of a garden. A few bushes and a bench, oh and a tree. That was about it. No flowers, but I guess it was still too cold for flowers. It didn't seem very cold at the moment though.

I sat there on the stone bench my elbow on my knee my chin resting on my palm. I stared off at a bush. It wasn't very interesting in any way, but at least it was something to look at.

What just happened to me? I hit a guy with a baseball bat and now I was someone's girlfriend? No. I don't know. I had never been anyone's girlfriend. I was an island didn't need anyone or anything. I was me, strong and independent. I'd been a fling, but that had never lasted long. Islands didn't need to be girlfriends. Islands, that's what I was. I'd withstood my monsoons and I'd done everything islands were supposed to do. I'd lived like an island, if I wasn't noticed I was fine I knew I was. But was I really an island anymore? Islands didn't need anything. But some how this island ran into a beach boy with honey eyes. So I wasn't an island anymore. But beach boy hadn't claimed me so maybe I was an island still. I was a strong solid and single island. I—

I sighed.

I looked up at the sky. It was amazingly blue. The sun shone down on my face and warmed me from the inside out. I closed my eyes letting it soak in. letting my face soak in that light. The light of the beautiful and blissful sun. But then again the sun can be a lot like honey. Smooth and soothing, and incredibly warm. The suns rays touched me like honey graceful and beautiful with out end. Swirling and creating a pattern, creating a masterpiece. Technicolor rays blinding and so comforting. I felt my face lift slightly in a smile. The sun, the beautiful warming sun. I opened my eyes a bit still enjoying the warmth and beauty such a simple creation as the sun. The sun brought life, it produced, and it was what made the world turn, it held all in its grasping gravitational pull. Held it all perfectly a balancing beam in circular form. It was everything to us humans and yet my city up to this point seemed absent to it.

Where had the sun gone? It had been in California, it truly had, but then I moved here and it left. It was gone for so long for so many years and now sitting in a small hospital garden it was back. It had come back just as I had come out of something I never imagined would happen to me. The world is wonderful again, but when did it stop? Did it stop when the sun stopped? When exactly did this all become so unfamiliar to me?

Suddenly it hit me I wasn't a island I was a star, a lonely distant star—

"Excuse me?"

My head snapped to a nurse. Next to her was a darker female version of Light. "Are you Joan?"

I nodded.

"I'm Sayu, I'm Lights sister!" the girl exclaimed.

I looked at her. "Hi," I tired.

In seconds she had covered the distance from the door to the bench with her effortless long legged strides. She was in front of me the next second. I blinked and opened my mouth to say something, but then she sat down. My mouth was still open when she hugged me. What was with today and hugs! My mouth closed finally and a second latter she released.

"I just wanted to thank you," she said. Her big dark brown eyes sparkled as she looked at me long eyelashes batted as she blinked and her beautiful Light face made me just sorta stare. Her voice was different from his more like Amy, his mothers it was sweet and caring. She had a very fun look to her. It was bouncy and juvenile but very pretty.

"Oh," I said nodding then shook my head, "For what?"

She laughed a bit. "Silly for saving my brother."

I paused for a second before I answered. "You know, I really didn't save him." I said carefully.

"The nurse at the desk said you saved him from getting shot twice." She made it sound way more exciting than it really was.

"Well no, I just sorta hit a guy with a baseball bat…he was really annoying actually." I said.

She laughed again at that. "Well I just wanted to say thank you anyway."

I nodded and after a second remembered I wasn't raised in a barn. "Your welcome."

Then she fluidly got up. "I'll see you when he gets out I guess." She said happily with an ever-present smile.

"Uh, yeah, I guess." I said then she left.

I sat there again looking at the bushes. I just sat there as I had before. My eyes focused on everything and on nothing. I looked over to the doors. I slowly stood placing my feet to hold my weight up. I looked down as I walked; my hair fell over my eyes as I did so. The small, straightened, strands I had ignored until now. The black hair had always been a part of me. it had Ben a defining thing to me it had shaped my image. I had had it short, long and ow it was just medium, with a lot of layers.

My black and white converse high-tops made that horrible squeak on the tile. I pursed my lips as they did so. The automatic doors closed behind me with a whispered, whoosh! I looked to the polished linoleum. The entire hospital had large black and white checkered floors. I looked down at them as I walked. They reminded me of a—chessboard. A giant chessboard where everybody played the game. I looked around I sighed deeply the only problem was I didn't know what piece I was. I walked along the halls; I watched my feet as I did. I made sure as I watched my feet not to step on any edges. I smiled.

_Don't step on a crack or you'll break your mothers back. _I murmured the saying in my head. Life is a chess game, a very precise and articulately played game. Every move human beings take is counter acted by whom ever our antagonist is at that time in out lives. Every piece a part of our selves. Of course the pawns go first. The least in ourselves, the major parts of our selves. Then the other s act until finally our very vulnerable king is either crowned victorious or loses and dies. In victory though yet another game will spark as another adversary rises to the challenge. Of course, in the mean time we gather it all back, we line the pawns back up, dust off our knight's armor, hide away our king again along with him the savageness, and pure, raw aggression and instinct that is our queen. The carnal ness that in every person is present, but some use all too much resulting in the lose of her, marking also the loss of the small bit of wisdom that is her governing force. Of course it acts both way's the neglecting of her status and her need for use results in a death of the same, but different in the sense that it is slow coming, poisonous and draining until yet again our king is left vulnerable.

I stopped. My wondering had brought me back to the front. My chess game was still going though as I walked around the desk then to the front doors, I back tracked then started out to the gardens again. The game continues it sparks with in us it is the opposition we need to survive. We must know that we are human we must know that we can fall of course. We must fall at some point we have to, so that we may yet raise another king a strong one a stronger reflection of ourselves. We have to have a struggle to find our worth. We must have the sorrow of the loss to make the beautiful bliss of winning that much more sweet and succulent. I smile our kings are merely phoenixes awaiting a loss to rise again stronger than before. I turn a corner slowly. Black, white, black, white, black, white, black, white, black, white, blac—

"Excuse me?' I looked up. It was Goldie Locks. "I was told to come find you, you're boyfriend—"

"He's not," I took a deep breath I had said that with too much force, it wasn't her fault no one had any idea that I really wasn't his. "I'm not his girlfriend." I said as politely as I could manage.

"Oh, uhm sorry, I didn't…" the blonde stumbled through an apology. I held up my hand to stop her.

"It's fine."

"Oh, well, uhm I was told to tell you that he's out now, he's not awake, but he's out." I raised my head a bit and nodded slightly in acknowledgement to her.

"I see." I said.

The nurse squirmed a bit in her shoes not deciding what course of action she seemed to want to take. "Well, I uhm, was also told that I should show you where he is."

I nodded again. "Oh, okay." I said. And gestured for her to lead on.

She nervously moved at first then seemed to almost forget my presence moving easier in her body and leading me to a small room. I turned to go in when I noticed we were in a patient ward not the ICU.

I pointed to the room awkwardly. "Isn't he supposed to be in the ICU?" I said forcing a smile at her.

The nurse fidgeted with the clipboard in her hand and looked around seeming to refuse to make eyes contact with me. "Well uhm," she said that word a lot, almost as much as President Obama. "There wasn't any room in Intensive Care and he seems to have such a big family that we just put him here." My brow furrowed. Big family? He had his mom, and his dad, and his sister. That's already bigger than my family. I have me and my brother and me and me and oh yeah my two aunts that lived on the other side of the country.

I shook my head in acknowledgement though. "Oh, okay then." I said. She skittered off like some scared animal at the sound of a shotgun and I stood there again. I looked down. I was on a white square; was that a good sign or a bad one? White always goes first. I reminded myself. But black wolves come in white fleece. Black is the defending color of course. It is the symbol for defensive opposition, passive defiance maybe? Only if the player chooses so. But white is the opposite of that anyway. White goes first there for strikes first and actively proclaims their ravaging need to win. I sighed. White feels they need to win. But that may also be looked at it has to stamp out the imperfection that is the black before it acts. Could that be taken as a deliberate unwilling ness to understand the beauty of black? Of course you don't have a slave rebellion until a slave makes the first move. But did that really mean striking first? I was severely confused at this point. So I breathed in and took the first step.

I peered into the room. The sun was shining in through the blinds scattering its beauty in lone smooth lines all across the room, but mostly across him. He was perfectly asleep. If I didn't know any better I would have thought him perfectly fit and unharmed. If he woke and simply smiled sitting up I wouldn't have been shocked. I was sure the anesthetics were keeping him locked very deep in that slumber, but at the same time he looked just below the surface of sleep easily woken by a simple word or touch. I stepped closer in to look closer at him. He was in a pale blue hospital shirt, short sleeved and loosely holding on to his broad frame. I smiled at the print of little blue teddy bears printed across it. Very macho. The covers were pulled up to his chest his hands resting across them, palms down. His form the only mark in the bed linens. The perfectly unwrinkled linens lying limply over him and off the bed, the bottoms tucked in. they looked a bit unnatural so smoothly lying across the mattress. I took another step closer. I moved my hand on to the surface of the blanket, it was a bit course, and not exactly the blanket I would choose to sleep with. I moved my hand slightly on it creating a wrinkle. I smiled and looked up at him again.

His face was so peaceful. I wished his eyes were open absently. I wanted to see those honey colored eyes. I wanted to be wrapped in smooth soothing honey. They weren't though. Flecks of golden eyelashes lined his perfectly shaped eyelids on the bottom and top accompanied by sharp auburn lines on his brow. His strong features were all relaxed. His mouth was open just slightly showing the faintest outline of his white teeth. I could faintly pick up that life giving sound of breath. The sound of his lungs filling as he breathed in and the release of air as his breathed out. It was very faint, but accompanied with the slight rising and falling of his chest. His hair looked less disheveled, most of his long bangs resting just over his forehead all but a large piece of it was caste across his eyes tickling the side of his nose. I smiled at it. It was perfectly positioned; he would be a hair stylists dream. But oh, the color, it shined golden in the sunlight.

I took several steps closer to him. My hand skirted along the edge of the mattress till I encountered his hand. Long fingers and a broad palm fit perfectly together into his very masculine wrists and up his arm. I sighed. Then turned my head back up to look at that one piece of hair. I lifted my hand and brushed it away. I stopped as his brow tightened at the touch. I pulled my hand back. His face smoothed with in the next few seconds. I looked to the meters and machines in the room. A heart monitor showed the rate his heart was beating and the pressure. I was glad they had turned the sound off. Of all things Light needed now it wasn't that annoying beep every second or two. I looked to the bag of liquid that a small tube wound down and around and too his arm. The IV was strapped with medical tape to his wrist. The painkillers I guessed and looked back up to his face.

Now was the moment of truth, do I stay and wait for him to wake or do I leave and go home. And do what? My brain asked me. Nothing. That's just it I'd do nothing. I sighed deep and prolonged. Before reluctantly removed my long black coat I let it slid off my shoulders and down my arms where I pulled it all the way off I flung it to land on a couch nearby and looked behind me to find a very uncomfortable looking chair. I bet pulling it by the arms closer to the bed. And I sat. A second latter I folded my arms on the mattress and rested my chin on them. I watched him his breathing still rhythmic as ever and still as peaceful as a corpse. I guess I was staying…


	3. Existance of Ghosts

_Existence of a Ghost_

_Snow White , Snow white, your hair made of ebony strands stolen from the darkest night, your eyes like stars to guide your pour soul along, skin as white as the purest of snow, you ly there in your glass coffin. Your hands clasped together your beautiful gown spread out the flowers arranged around you like a halo, a halo declaring your innocence and you naivety. The beauty of a single rose lies against your slender abdomen and your unmoving chest; it lies there telling all of the passion you wanted and your horrible sin. Yes fair Snow White we all know of you sin. Your dreadful sin that you committed. But that is the reason for your glass coffin. That beautiful glass coffin golden frame and crystal ornaments. It holds your slender form with ease. _

Soon after arriving in his room I started to look around it. The nurses were almost periodically bringing in flowers, knickknacks, fruit bowls. Any and everything that you'd give someone that was sick in the hospital. Although he was shot. How do you write a card to that? Oh, yeah I heard you got shot, I uhm, well, you know that sucks, not that it sucks to be you, well right now it kind of would, but well anyway yeah, sorry about that whole getting shot thing, you know even though, well yeah sorry. I thought about that. It just wasn't very amazing sounding. I got up from my chair and walked around the bed to a fruit basket. I looked back at him. He wasn't going to notice if I ate any thing besides that I doubt he'd care that much if he did notice.

So I dug through the plastic and grabbed a bright red apple. I smiled as I looked at it. It was a gleaming perfect specimen for me to eat. I walked back to my seat before I sunk my teeth through the bright red skin in to the white easily giving flesh underneath. That crisp distinct sound accompanied as the sweet juice filled my mouth. I yanked the apple away and crunched down on the piece left in my mouth.

_But because of your sin there is an unknown consequence you did not for see, the ice. It crept in slowly dominating your humble abode to reach your coffin until now it has caught up to you. The ice has slowly forming over your coffin, soon you will not be seen, and soon your unuttered pleas will never be heard. You know nothing of your fait for all you know is you slender glass coffin. Oh, but if you knew of the ice would you have done it again? Would you have sinned, as you shouldn't have? The ice has covered the lock it has cover up the golden frame. It is casting over the glass surface. Its intricate designs blocking out all _Light_, it's chilling you as you sleep. It's pulling you deeper still in your slumber. It's hooking you in its long nailed reaching and blood stained and chilled fingers, there to dominate your heart, no other thing shall hold you, and no other being will truly see you. It has you by its fingertips, but it's etching out its domain. Its claiming this part of the forest, its here to conquer your deathbed._

As I took another crunching bit out of the sweet perfect apple I felt a sudden chill. I stopped looking to window. None of them were open I swallowed down the bit of flesh down and stood. I pulled my coat from the couch pulling it onto my shoulders before I returned to the chair next to the bed. I didn't feel any warmer despite the coat but I kept it on kept it on my shoulders and let it stay for fear of feeling a breeze and truly getting cold.

_But a question, what will happen when it reaches inside your coffin beautiful Snow White? What will become of that white as snow skin? Will your ebony hair fade in to a gray twilight? Will those star struck eyes never shine again? But more importantly will your heart still beat? Your deathly sleep has you firm, but any prince can break that grasp. The question is will your prince be able to fight off the ice? Will he be able to make those eyes shine? So it is a race against time, the same time you so feared and you impatience rejected. As you sleep and dream of your prince the ice has started its dominos effect._

I watched the water rushing out of the silver faucet in front of me. It rippled and bubbled into the pool of water below. The white porcelain sink held the water in a oval shaped pool. I reached over and shut the faucet off pushing the knob back. I dipped my hands in the water and grabbed a washrag a second latter. I cleaned my face thoroughly with it rubbing the white rag over my face. Scrubbing my nose and behind my ears. As I set eh rag down I stood fully. I was startled as I found I was now faced with a mirror. I sighed and pulled the pin watching the water all start to swirl down the drain. A second later I looked back up. I squinted at the person in the mirror. I was too white. I thought to myself. I was like a freaking ghost I was so white. Lately my actions up until now reminded me of how ghost as if I was becoming.

I started to study my appearance. My eyes were very light colored gray that fit in with my stark white complexion. They made the pupils pop out a little and stole through the mirror reflecting back at me. I had thick black lashes that seemed to hold my eyes in coupled with the black mascara and eyeliner. I scrutinized over my thin rosy lips. They were small and thin, giving way to the pale expanse of my cheeks. No rosy blush or pink tint even there. The cold colorless black of my hair seemed to flush my white complexion of even more of all pink of peach tones only leaving white. My hair as always dominated me. The long bangs came over my forehead hiding my eyebrows and bushing against my eyelashes when I blinked. The sides brushing across my cheeks. I looked at the way it fell around my shoulders. It was starting to curl slightly. My hair wasn't curly in any way more of wavy. In the mornings I straightened out all the waviness just leaving straight, but now after all that seemed to happen to me today it was staring to curl a little and waving its way down my back.

I had pulled light blue work shirt off leaving the white tank top underneath one. My lone slender arms were holding my hands on the rim of the white sink. I looked down at my hands. There wasn't much of a complexion even there. I blinked several times up at my reflection again.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who ids the fairest of them all?" I asked in a whisper.

I hadn't expected an answer and I hadn't revised on.

I sighed, "Mirror, mirror, tell me true is that boy really going to want me true or just leave me blue?" I said again. No answer. I breathed a sigh and retrieved my shirt form the counter buttoning it up not bothering to tuck it in. Light wouldn't care, all he wanted to do was sleep anyway.

_It's a chess game against time. You acted you saw your self in the mirror and only wanted a prince so you bit in to that apple and laid your head down making the first move, declaring yourself as White as snow. This race is weighted Snow White and in your naivety you did not realize you weighted it yourself, the day you stepped in to your coffin, the day you gave your life over to the Queen. Now white cannot move because of your sleep. Oh, but black has moved. It has moved and moved and moved again, until now your red stained king is still standing, but only waiting for that black ice to finally conquer through your pawns and fall. _

I watched through the door at the black and white tile. A nurse had been caring a dozen roses and had tripped. The red roses splayed across the floor. My brow furrowed as I watched eh shattered clear glass shatter across the floor, but that wasn't what troubled me. The water was red. Like the roses it was a blood red. Oxygen pumped bright blood red. The nurse quickly tried to clean up her mess looking quite frantic as she did so. I quickly got up form my chair leaning the coat behind and went to her. She was on her hands and knees and on the brink of crying. Then I suddenly noticed it was Goldie Locks.

She sniffled loudly as I knelt. "It's okay." I said as I leaned down and scooped all the roses into a nice pile.

"Oh, no."

I smiled at her. "It'll be fine. It was accident."

She was now officially in tears. I wasn't sure what to do. I reached my hand out tentively before lightly touching he shoulder, patting it slightly. I was really never good at that whole encouragement, being horribly comforting, and nice or even touchy for that matter.

"I was suppose…." Great heaving sob and a floodgate opens for more tears. "To bring these to your room, but I for…" this was kind of like where god opened the clouds and there was so much rain it covered the whole earth. I wouldn't have been surprised if they might make us all evacuate from the flooding of Goldie Locks tears. I patted once again lightly. "I," hiccup sob thing came out of her mouth. "Forgot he wasn't in ICU so I messed up and the doctor," by the way while she is saying all of this I'm trying very hard to interpret for all of you reading this story. It's really quite hard since her voice was squeaking and well she's sobbing and hiccupping and it's trying let me tell you. "He told me to hurry and take them where they should go so I was trying to hurry and then—Wahhhhhh!" she scooted over and my shoulder was instantly drenched. I don't ever remember telling her that I would be her shoulder to cry on, but looks like I was rounded into it. I patted again.

I remember faintly about some rule when guys hug one pat and they release well do girls have a rule like that? Apparently not as she just sobbed on, after said end-it-pat and all.

A second latter I patted again. She stopped and leaned back on her heals. "I'm sorry." She said in a way that just made me feel wetter. The awful part is this coat's dry clean only. I guess you know blood, watery tears it was literally had.

Another loud snotty sniffle before she spoke again. "Thank you."

I smiled as I said. "No problem," but what I wanted to say was, "Don't ever do that again."

She frowned as she nodded than a pretty almost juvenile smile brightened her face.

"Now where is a dust pan?" I asked.

She nodded before getting up. "I'll go get one."

I watched her swiftly walk off to a janitorial closet. I daintily and gently as possible not to hurt the flowers scooped them up and stood with them. Another nurse in the hall stopped as she saw me.

"Oh, dear do you need a different vase?" she asked.

I smiled gratefully at her. "That would be fabulous." I said as I held the roses up wearily. The nurse nodded and alighted off in the opposite direction.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Goldie Locks said as she returned with a broom, dustpan, and mop. She got on her knees again and with the broom slid all the glass in to a small pile.

I watched as she did so. The blood red water fascinated me as I looked at it. It slid across the glass surface and made its color that much redder with the black and white board background. It was startling to see it and almost beautiful. It was a disaster and almost bordered on a sin to have it lain out like that, but it was one hell of a beautiful sin.

The other nurse appeared then with the vase. I smiled sliding the flowered in and—

"Ow." I said my hand shock back as I looked at it. A red line quickly appeared on the print of my finger, and a drop of blood welled.

"Oh, my," the nurse said looking at my hand held out in front of my face. "They must have accidentally left a thorn on." she held the vase precociously and then looked down at the mess. "I have to say it must have been a very expensive piece to have red dyed water."

I glanced from my finger to the mess. "Yes, dye…" I said distantly.

"Here dearie, do you want to take these," the other nurse said to me. I nodded taking the vase as they finished cleaning up the mess.

I numbly looked at the roses and then glanced back at Light, lost in his slumber, just like—

_Snow White, you are lost. Your cottage is long forgotten. Your protectors have all passed on, the paths and the roads leading any prince have long faded as nature reclaims its right to the earth they were placed upon. Only one still lives that knows of your humble home, the home of your frozen tomb for which you created. That one though condemned you to this and now has built a wall all around your forest that will never yet fall. But you sleep on, unaware when you lay there changing you story as you laid down of your own accord that you were changing it only for the worst. Your intended prince never heard you in your hour of need for you screamed it only in your dreams sealed away in your glass coffin. You know you deserve a prince and you simple rushed the process. So you changed the story you sought the Wicked Queen, her beauty incomplete, until you took that step and named yourself, anything but the fairest. Your grievous sin, which no other can touch. Your impatience has destroyed your chances. You could not wait for your story to play out; you did not want to wait for your prince. So the blood red rose that lays across you chest retells its beauty just like you just as it should, showing the world that you sent your self to this cold glass prison. This prison that you refuse still in your dream world to acknowledge as such. For you refuse to open your eyes until your prince comes, until he saves you from all that ice. _

As I returned with the roses I set them on a bedside table closest to my chair. I wanted them where I could see them. I glanced at the clear water that was in the vase. I furrowed my brow remembering the red water that was in the other vase. My phone started to vibrate in my pocket. I fished through the coat pocket and brought it in to my view.

I blinked several times as I looked at the caller ID.

Aunt Lucinda…

It buzzed for several more second before finally stopping. I held it still in my hand just looking at it. My family and I weren't close, at least not anymore. It—I—they—

A little cheery sound followed with a short buzz accompanied a little message the appeared. I had one missed call. I looked at the face. I—I—couldn't. Not yet. I couldn't talk to them yet. It was—it had happened again and I—

I shoved the phone back into my pocket before throwing the coat on the couch. Now if someone of my family called again I wouldn't know it.

I glanced at the roses again before slowly turning to the slumbering form. I watched as his chest rose slightly then fell again and repeated with each breath. I got up and went next to the bed.

_Light. _Like as in moonlight or was it for the light of the sun? The sun was brilliant and perfect and unstoppable, but if it was for the moon it would have equal power I think. I reached out and let my fingertips brush through auburn strands. The sun would have golden-flecked strands like this I think. The moon, the moon was a guiding light though. The sun was reliable and chased away the night. It rose in the same spot and sank to the same spot, perfectly predictable. The moon was—it was truly ever present if you knew where to look sometimes you could find it during the day, the moon changed constantly but during the night you knew it was there it was the _light_ in the darkness. It guided but did not detour. It stood alone and often looked almost lonely, but had its own beauty. I looked to the floor. But the moon lied, it may be the guiding light through the night, but it lied. It never let the true picture through moonlight was weak and giving. It never showed the absolute truth.

The sun on the other had banished all lies. It glared seemingly at everything giving light to all just it was almost watching light, almost accusing. But the sun was life. With out the light the sun gave there would be no living thing on this earth. The sun shone so bright it drowned out every other light. It was utterly perfect, but was perfection oppressing?

We hadn't spoken really even yet. We'd barely during the whole incident and now all I could do was look at him. There was a spark there though. A bond. I was connected to him. If nothing else we had at least one thing in common now and I—

I looked down at him. He was exactly like me now. He's survived. He'd made it through with a scar to tell the story. He and I were so alike and yet who knows we could be totally opposites, but there was always the connection from now on.

_So where is your prince now? Now that you have locked your self away, unawares your existence forgotten as time aged on. The Queen herself is dieing and with her the memory of you, cottage hidden away in the mountain. Did you not know she would tell no prince of your existence? Of course, not for the fear of that mirror, for the want to hear those magically spoke words. "You are, you are the fairest of them all." She did not know of course that your slumber meant nothing to the Mirror. The second you lay that black as night head down the Queen consulted it briefly, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" _

"_Not you, fair Queen, Not you, For the fairest of them all, is caught with in your fall, she lies, her beauty untouched, as so does her standing, as I say it must as the fairest, the fairest of them all." _

I just stood there and looked down at him, my hand stroking the barest tuft of his hair. He moved then. I took several steppes back. I wasn't going to get caught showing him affection.

"Ahhn, hun." The sound he made was quiet and a bit ruff but proof he was still asleep. I breathed in relief of being caught. A simple sigh is all it was.

"Excuse me?" it was the nurse that had gotten me the vase.

My wide eyes went from Light in a forced calm to her. "Yes?" I said.

She held out a small envelope. "This was with the flowers, it dropped as you gathered up the roses and I just noticed." She said.

I smiled at her and crossed to her. I took the envelope from her. "Thank you," I said as I did.

The nurse smiled at me before walking off.

I sighed. I looked over at Light. "Nurses, never here when you need then and always around when you don't." he didn't react and neither did I as I walked to the flowers and I looked for the little fork looking card holder a terrible thought hit me. I looked down at the card. Light wasn't awake. I glanced at him to make sure. Nope out like a _light—_Haha funny! Get it_?—_a parade could come right through the room and he'd still be breathing Z's.

I twisted my face in indecision. I fidgeted with the card a bit as I looked nonchalantly around the room. I twisted my fingers around it and trade hands with it looking at it then looking around the room until finally sitting down. I set the envelope on my lap and looked at it. _Light_, was written across it in very flowie curly cursive. The envelope was just a plain white, but with a flowery logo of the flower shop it was delivered from in the bottom right corner.

I sat there looking at it. I suddenly displaced it on the bed. I didn't even want to look at it. It was addressed to Light therefore it was Light's to open and read, not mine. I started to look around the room.

I huffed before snatching the white envelope back; if nothing else it would fight back the boredom and stifle the curiosity.

I slowly and skillfully ran my finger under the flower sticker holding it closed. If I was lucky I could get the note back in and make the sticker stick again. and if not it was a hospital they had to have glue somewhere, even if it was that icky liquid band aid stuff, I could get that to work. I slid it open carefully slipping the card out. It was red and had little happy roses on it. 'Get Well' was printed along the bottom in fancy gold lettering. I analyzed it looking to the roses and back to the attached card. Then I looked away. To flip it open or not to flip it open that is the question. The card was addressed to Light. I reminded my self for about the sixtieth time.

Set the card on the arm of the chair. It was Light's personal card. He could read it when he woke up and I just need to—

To read it first, I thought as I snatched the card up again and flipping it open. I read as follows silently in my head. It was all written in that same curly curvy and flowie writing.

"Dear, Light," there was a heart to dot the 'i.'

"I heard about that awful incident at the drug store and felt I should send you something since I can't come see you," how on earth could you ever be too busy to come see someone that had gotten shot?

I ignored it and read on. "Last weekend was such a pleasure, I can not wait to do it again." my cheeks turned red but I kept reading.

"I miss you already and I can't wait to see you again," I was frowning now.

"Love, Takada." It couldn't have been 'Sincerely', 'Your Friend,' 'Thank you,' 'Cordially,' 'Best wishes,' or 'Best regards,' no it had to be 'Love,'

I clutched the card tighter, that little witch.

"Hello!" I jumped a foot off the chair. I scrambled with the card shoving it in the crack of the seat cushion and placed my clasped hands over my folded legs neatly. Then politely looked up. It was Lights petite and motherly looking mother.

"Hi," I said back trying to smile and act as if I wasn't hiding anything.

His mother with a sweet smile came in carrying a small basket of what looked like apples. She set in on the tray at the foot of the bed. She looked down at Light, his breathing still as rhythmic as ever.

"He looks so peaceful," she commented glancing up at me then back down. "It's almost like he's my little boy again, just fallen asleep after a long day." Her kind eyes looked over at me again. "You know, when he was a child I always was taking him to the hospital, never seemed to ever get sick mind you, he'd just some how always find a way to some how get himself hurt." She gave a deep sigh. "He always claimed it had to be done; I guess you could call it a noble cause." She laughed a bit, she was looking down at him almost forlornly, those suddenly very proud eyes turned up to me. "You know this time I really think it was a noble cause."

If you could describe me at that moment the best way of putting it would be a puddle. I just broke as I sat there. It was all emotion and it was a puddle. Clear and easily disturbed…puddle. I wanted to cry and tell her I was sorry her son got shot and I didn't and I wanted to tell her sorry for me being in that drug store at all and that a I was sorry that I just read her sons card and eaten his fruit and—oh, gosh I hate mothers.

They all have this gift for making you feel guilty. You don't get in trouble but you wish you had and it's horrible. They tell you how proud of you they are for not giving in to peer pressure and you wanna tell them how you actually did get high or drunk or snuck out or hung out with that "bad kid" or what ever and they just didn't find out cause you've practiced the whole hiding it thing. Or when they say you're such a good child and you don't say nothing because you can't because you know you really broke that expensive piece of furniture, but blaming it on your brother was easier. See you didn't get in trouble for it, but they make you wish you had.

I was about to tear up as she came over crossing the space between the bed and couch with ease. She sat on the couch next to me and placed her hands on mine

"And you know what?"

I shook my head, vigorously, rather puddle like.

"I am so glad he did." This is where I really wanted to break into sobs at her feet luckily puddle's take a long time to process things, so I didn't.

She continued with those big brown eyes looking me straight in my watery gray puddles. "I am so glad my son had the chance to meet you. You have no idea how thankful I am too you, especially for staying in the room with him." She glanced at the door. "you know, we have a very big family and it takes allot to get them all taken care of and they are all arriving here, it is such a burden off me that you're here looking after Light." now I really wanted to start balling.

I just sat there shocked and watery and leaky and messy and I wanted to start confessing about the card thing and the apple thing and cry, but I just licked my lips and looked at her.

She smiled at me. "You really are a blessing."

I swallowed hard, before finally speaking. "Thank you," I said.

Her smile got bigger and she looked to the clock in the room. I looked too. It was far later than I had thought. 10:14 p.m.

"Well I have to go take care of a house full of people," she said standing up. I watched her stand. Then she looked down at me. "Are you going to stay here with Light tonight?" she asked.

See! There! That right there was why mothers are mothers! You have a child and all of a sudden boom you have power beyond all belief! She tells me how amazing I am when I know I'm not then gets that high expectation thing and all I can think about is living up to it! Uhg!

I smiled. "Yeah," I am now at least. "I'm staying here." Hadn't planned on it, but what the heck! A puddle can't fight back very well anyway.

She gave me a big motherly smile. "Alright dear." That's what came out, but I could swear I heard a "thank you so much." In there. Another amazing power of being a mother saying two different things at one time! How do they do that?

I smiled back and waved as we said our goodbyes and she left. I then sank back into my chair looking jadedly over at the ever-sleeping Light.

"You better be feeling really lucky I like your mom." I said then added. "And you better make me cookies or something 'cause that couch does not look very comfortable." I said then went to the couch. After finding a nurse—again never around when you need one and always there when you don't—I managed to get a pillow and blanket.

As I tried getting comfy on the couch I stared over at Light. Now that the lights in the room were off I could barely make him out. I huffed out a sigh as I closed my eyes and wished sleep to take me.

_But the Wicked Queen will not stop exacting her revenge as each day she asked and each day received the same, "Not you, fair Queen, not you…" so she has banished your memory from the kingdom, she has stolen you from the history books. Intent to destroy the fairest of all, that set up her own fall. She has left her mark as on her deathbed she still consults, "Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?" each day she is denied as she knows she must be, but if you were to wake what would the mirror speak? Would it acknowledge your sin or just that beautiful face? Who knows maybe you never were the fairest, maybe the Queens face out shines yours, and her sins simply tarnished all her stars. But would your sins make you more beautiful? Would it make you a rose? Or an apple perhaps? Yes an apple I believe. As red as any blood soaked rose, as sweet and delicious as the greatest of feasts as can be, but slowly poisoning. For haven't you poisoned your story already? Haven't you pricked the your finger and the spinning wheel too soon? But what of the prince still? Will your apple poisoned red lips harm him also if he does yet come? Will that poison the Wicked Queen so foolishly handed you work against her as you wish or will it destroy its barer? _

That night had to be the worst of my life. If it wasn't a nurse barging in to check on Light it was the blasted couch underneath me. Or the ambulance or a crying child outside the door, anything, and everything that could have the composite to keep me awake did keep me awake. The over all point was I hadn't slept a wink. When Lights mother all cheery and happy showed up I got up off the couch. Slouched posture, red fatigued eyes, with giant size bag underneath, and a hair style from hell and all, I walked up to her let her hug me told her I was going home, and left.

Once home I had fallen on my bed face first and passed out.


	4. Of Death and Love

Upon waking I had pulled my blood stained and old cloths off opting for a simple t-shirt and jeans then grabbing my coat I decided to wash my hair and started all over on the whole dressing thing after a shower. Finally leaving my house I took my guitar. If I had to wait around all day again for Light to wake up at least I'd have something to do. As I walked in to the homey colored hospital I was greeted with several smiles and a few waves. I was confused a bit but politely nodded or waved back.

Lights family was in his room as I entered. His mother noticed me first, smiling, and standing. I stood awkwardly at the door as she came forward. I set the guitar case down just in time to be embraced. Her arms around my neck tightly. I a bit awkwardly hugged back as much as I could muster. She released a second latter holding my arms gently out. She smiled.

"You look refreshed." She commented. I nodded.

"I needed to get cleaned up." I said.

"Well, you look very nice." She said.

I smiled at her. She stepped back and I entered setting the guitar in a corner and went over to him. I faintly noticed that his mother returned to the rest of the family there. It looked like an aunt and Sayu were there. Light's father was absent.

Speaking of Light I peered down at him. He looked as peaceful as ever. Hopelessly asleep. I leaned down to him, looking at his face. Not an imperfection in sight. I bit my lip in frustration. What hold did you have on me boy?

What is your secret? Was that apple I ate poisoned with you? Did you plan for me to eat it and inevitably be drawn back to you? Do you like me being drawn to you constantly? Is this sinful game of chess really controlled by you? If you opened those eyes would I fall for them? Would that poisonous spell yours only strengthen? Or would you reject me and banish me away? You have already banished me in a way, banished me to want to be around you. Banished me from thinking of nothing, but you. But how could you have this hold already? How could you hold me when you never wake? When your arms never circle me, and your lips have yet to whisper your secret against mine? Is your body the holding for those small ounces of your spell you permeate this room with?

"Joan?" I looked up. It was Sayu. "Hey we're going to get some breakfast, do you want to come?"

I straightened as she spoke looking back over my shoulder at her. I looked back down at Light before answering. "That's fine," I said and faced her. "I think I'll stay here with Light."

She smiled wide. "Okay." Then almost skipping out of the room with the other two women.

I looked back down at Light. He was unaffected, as always. I had been star struck with this boy from moment one. And even with out those eyes I still see no reason not to stop this process.

I looked over at the vase of roses. They were still beautiful as ever the small bowl of apples was now next to it. They made quite a pair. Both dangerously perfect and beautiful in all their blood soaked glory. I sighed as I retrieved the guitar from the corner taking it over to the small coffee table I set it across the top dominating the space. I sat at the couch and unzipped the case. I then pulled my keys out finding the smallest one and unlocked the small clasp in the front. Then I pushed the top up and open.

The guitar lying inside was a full size guitar; I didn't even try to bother with all those three-quarter crap instruments. The sound was horrible and the look wasn't flattering to even the most talented musician. My guitar was a very light coloring of wood. It almost bordered on a white guitar. The neck, back, and sides were all a very deep reddish mahogany and to top it all off the trim was a gold patterned in thin lines all around the body and a simple line down the back.

I lifted it out of the case by the neck and settled it on the couch. I then shut the case and slid it off to lean against the side of the couch. I then cradled the beautiful instrument in my lap. Placing my long fingers on the neck and the other rest against the body.

I never liked picks very much. They just weren't my style. My callused fingers were for a reason and I preferred it that way. The pure sound of the instrument came through with your fingers it became as if the guitar was a piece of me through my fingers. The more I used them the more I felt the sound was a part of me. The more intricate my fingers moved the better and more creative it sounded in my ears. I was the sound I was apart of the sound so essential to this instrument. Take me out of the picture and this guitar was a just another guitar but me in to it using my fingers and all and there was a match made by the music gods themselves.

I set the piece higher up on my thigh and shifted slightly into that perfect spot to make heaven shine in just for me. As my fingers strummed across the strings I felt the vibration through the body and the power even at each soft touch of my fingers to the strings. I smiled to myself as I did so hearing something I had known long before all of this was happening. Something just as sweet to me as those honey eyes. Something that had been sweet long before those eyes graced my form. This was a heaven I'd know a long time before heaven decided to take roost in this hospital room.

I closed my eyes as my fingers alighted over the strings. No chords, no notes, yet, just that pure sound. I smiled and let my eye slid open to see him. My fingers stopped on the strings stopping the sound almost instantly as I lightly lay my palm on over them stopping their vibration. And I looked at him. He some how just made that sound so much sweeter. Even with out those eyes. I smiled and set the guitar down on the couch. I swiftly got up fluidly stepping over the small table and to the bedside. I sat up on the bed and leaned down at him.

After a few second the position became painful so I pulled my legs out from under me and lay next to him on my stomach. I leaned on my elbows looking down at him.

"Prince Charming," I asked giggling roughly at my self. "Did you poison that apple I ate or was it my imagination?"

No answer came just that rhythmic, sleep laden breathing.

I smiled. "Or am I the Prince?" I said raising an eyebrow. "If I were to kiss you would you wake?" I folded my arms still leaning on my elbows. "Or do you need one of the truest love?" I looked to the roses. "Would it be her kiss you would prefer?"

Still no answers. To any of it. Just one big blank looking question mark hung in the air.

I sighed and backed away off the bed. I sat back on the couch a second later and picked up the guitar. That sweet sound it emitted filled the room as the sweetness of his eyes still continually faded into my endless seeming night.

_Is there hope for you yet? Your glass coffin screams, "No!" Its fingers of cold hard ice clutches, grasping harder still. The flowers have wilted their memory erased in this cottage, the animals no longer drawn near, for fear of your frozen tomb. The rose holds strong to its beauty as it bears it's on your chest for all to see, to see it through your glass coffin. But there always is hope for you and yet still for the Queen, as she still hangs on to a worthless life to one day hope to see you fall…to fall from being the fairest of them all…_

I had changed positions about an hour prior, as the nurse walked in. my feet on the mattress myself leaning back against the chair. I'd turned the TV on and was watching the basketball game. My arms were crossed over my chest my pale face looking up at the screen, light gray eyes watching as the Lakers very viciously thrashed my team. Deep down I knew that it would happen, but when the ref, made a bad call on my Nugget's I couldn't help what came out.

"What? What kind of call was that?" I yelled no longer leaning I was sitting stark up my feet still on the bed, but my arms outstretched and my face a mix of shock and disgust.

That's when the nurse came running in. "What's wrong?" she asked. I wasn't listening.

I mumble a dismissive "Nothing," not letting my eyes leave the screen. The crowd was all going as crazy as I was. "What? That was so not a foul! Wha—don't you penalize him!" I screamed finally throwing my arms up and flopping back in my chair. As I sat back I glance behind me at Light. He was still slumbering away.

"Are you sure you're alright?" the nurse asked a bit of confusion entering her voice.

I looked over at her. "Do I look fine?"

"Well…" she was starting to shrink back. As second later Ade walked in. I had found out that was his name after I had been in here for about and hour and his tall lumbering form had popped in and given me a black huge white grin. He had a paper bag in his hands as he came around and sat at the couch on my side.

"What's the score?" he asked. I had never known till today that a native African man liked basketball so much.

"The score is we're loosing that's what the score is." I said as I took my feet from the bed. I dug in to the food and pulled out a salad. He pulled out a hamburger and swiftly unwrapped it.

"Was he penalized?" he said mouth full, muffling his words as they came out. He pointed to the screen his look very annoyed his brow low and furrowed.

"Yep." I answered before popping a fork full of Caesar-ly goodness into my mouth. I crunched away at it as I watched the screen. The halftime performances were starting.

I sat watching. Suddenly a doctor with another man nurse came in pushing past the stunned nurse at the door. The doctor sat on the couch the nurse grabbing the other lounge chair on the other side to the room pulling it to the small coffee table.

"Hey Ade, man" the doctor said fisting Ade. "What's the score?"

"It's half time now but we're losing."

"Pretty bad?" the other nurse asked he had dark brown hair and a light complexion, even for a white boy.

"Yeah." Ade said.

"Excuse me?" the nurse at the door finally seemed to be able to speak again. Four pairs of eyes turned to her. One pair just stayed shut, sleeping on and on and on…

"What?" I said.

She got a very appalled face on now and pointed to the slumbering boy. "He needs some peace and quiet! He's been through a lot and I think you of all people should want to let him sleep in peace!"

I glanced over my shoulder again and looked at Light for a couple seconds before looking to her. "Lady, honestly, he looks very peaceful to me," I glanced again before continuing. "And not like he plans on waking up any time soon."

Her gapping mouth seemed to grow bigger. She opened her mouth before shutting it then opened it again this time waving her finger around reminding me of my aunt whenever I was in trouble. Come to think of it I hadn't had a finger waved in my face since I was at least twelve. I decided this nurse was a very bossy lady. "You should all be ashamed of your selves! Where is this boys family?" Three sets of eye turned to me. One pair kept starring at the bossy lady and the other in the room just stayed shut…All three of the medical staff around me pointed at me.

I smiled wide and stuck another fork full of salad in to my mouth. Then I waved at her. "Hi, I'm his not-girlfriend, but clearly some how considered family and girlfriend." I kept waving.

Bossy got all puffed up. "Where is this boy's mother?"

"Outside in that lounge area." I said pointing. After I had gotten in here his family had been in here. His mom had cried a bit, okay so she cried a lot, his sister had looked worried and his dad comforted the two women, with a sigh might I add. I had just sat there leaning on the edge of the bed and let my chin rest on my hands as I looked at him. They had left in about a half an hour going home then when they had returned choosing to stay in the lounge until he woke up. I have to say I was a lot more comfortable without them around.

"Well we'll just see what his mother thinks of this. " Bossy said as she strode out.

I took another bit of salad, chewing slowly and leisurely. I wasn't worried. I don't think I cared much, what were they gonna do kick me out? Great I'll take the bus home and watch the rest of the game on my DVR.

_Of course every princess has a prince. You fair, sinful, Snow White, have one also…but because of your deed it is whom you did not expect. Of course the queen had heirs, you just never expected her son to be your prince. You never thought a century after your deathly deed he would rise. The glorious prince of the morning. As beautiful as that rose against your chest and just as venomous as that apple you bit into. _

Ade whistled breaking the silence besides my loud chewing. The whistled made a high pitched and lazy "woo" sound. We all looked at him, except for one, but yeah he was asleep.

"So when do you think she'll be back?" the doctor asked.

"About twenty minutes maybe." The dark haired nurse said.

"That's long enough to possible make or break the game." I pointed out.

Then it was unanimous all four of us turned back to the TV the halftime show was almost over. I popped the last bite of my salad in and tossed the plastic fork and container in to the trash as the lay up started.

"Wahoo." The doctor let out as the Nuggets got the ball. I watched closely as a play set in motion. Things were looking up we could actually win this game.

Then I heard it. It was very quiet and very soft. "Nah." A groan of what sounded like pain. My head shot back. His brow was furrowed and his mouth held in a sneer of pain. I acted in half a second clearing the back of the chair I was sitting on and to his side. I stood there as he shifted slightly letting his head turn away from me. I moved my hands to... well I didn't really know. The point is they stopped about six inches from him and just held there suspended. Waiting to see what he was going to do before I decided what to do, sort of like a chess game—

Then his eyelids wrinkled slightly as auburn eyelashes tightened closed more then slowly raise up. I held my breath as two slits of honey orbs appeared then he batted his eyes again before fully opened this time. His face relaxed a bit again as he scanned the room. Looking over at the scene before him. The TV had been shut off and all of the men were up on their feet. The dark haired nurse went to tell someone as Ade moved the chairs back to the intended positions and the doctor made his way to the monitors. His breath was less rhythmic catching a bit now, as he looked from Ade, to the doctor, to the room around him. Then his eyes settled on me and a smile blossomed.

_You see your prince changed you had a very different intended prince at one time fair Snow White he was brave and true and as handsome as even fair you…and now well after your deed is done after your intended prince never heard your cry of for help you have been graced a new prince. A different prince oh, yes he is all the things that make a prince, handsome, brave, graceful, but this prince is still the son of a very wicked Queen. He just like the sorcerer herself has just as many aces up his sleeve, he has his charm, and he has his spells. But through the generation he has learned what the Queen never will, why be the fairest when you can have the fairest in your arms? _

"Hey." He breathed looking up at me. His smile staying in place as he spoke.

Life was definitely a _light_. It's a light that shines and emitted and as he woke I saw it in his eyes I saw it. More than that swirling smooth honey or his charm-spiced breath, he was shining with _life_. There was an unknown light that blazed up at me through his eyes. I was seeing them as if it was the first time again. I had known the color. I had known they were those perfect orbs and the sweet honey, but I hadn't realized the gleam. That beautiful light they shone through his eyes. They lit up the room. It was amazing how beautiful this boy was to me. Gold flecked eye lashes batted and for that second his eyes weren't visible it was as if I forgot again. As if it was days again and then there they were again. Brilliant honey, filling the room with light…

I smiled too, more out of relief as I looked down at him. I dropped my hands and set one on the covers, the other on the plastic rail nearer his head.

"Hey," I breathed a second latter. "How are you doing?" I asked, my eyes skirting to the dip in his shoulder, where I believed the bullet hole was, and back to his eyes.

He laughed, it was breathy and quiet. "I—I'm not quite sure. I hurt." He said still smiling all the while. But his eyes sparked amber gold as he smiled bigger before saying. "But your here so it's not that bad."

I looked down then. I felt the heat in my cheeks rising. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again. Deciding against it letting the moment just be.

"You know I wanted to ask you something." He said, as the doctor and Ade existed the room, we were quite alone now.

I licked my lips and looked up at his face again. "Yeah?"

He blinked before asking and looked down at my hand then back to my face. "Uhm, you never told me your name." he pressed his lips together again. "And I was wondering if I could possibly get your name?"

I smiled. He was treating me like we'd known each other for years and now he was finally admitting to not knowing something he should have all along. I looked down at my hands before I answered. "Joan, Joan Night, is my name." after saying it or should I say admitting it I looked up at him.

He smiled. There was a silent pause as he looked at me then. He flashed his brilliant teeth again before speaking. "I'm guessing you already know my name."

I pulled a guilty face. "Uhm, yeah, one of the doctors told me then your mom…" I trialed off.

He laughed then. "My mom's here? Oh, gosh she didn't overwhelm you—"

"Oh, no!" I cut him off. "She's really sweet and she hugged me." several times, now. I said nodding slightly.

He smiled again at that. I was starting to keep a count in my head and that was six. "That's good. I'm glad she didn't scare you off." He said.

I let out a more nervous laugh. "Yeah."

Now was where that long fingered and horrible awkward silence weaseled its way in. It slithered its fingers in and gripped the room and me and Light along with it. It held us there suspended in a cold stalemate air. I hated it so I spoke just to dispel the hand, that cold _icy_ hand.

"Well I better go get your parents." I said and turned to go to the door.

"No." it was urgent and sharp, it was like the sharp bite of a scared animal. His hand shot out in the same instance to grasp onto my fleeting one. He grasped it and looked at me; he pulled his other hand over to grip my hand in both of his then. His eyes were wide open starring at me, watching every move I made. Moreover watching to see if I would leave him.

"Please stay," he said. "I think a nurse went to go get them anyway."

"I—yeah, I guess." I said stepping back to the side of the bed.

He sat back a little, seemingly relieved. He let one hand go from mine and rested it on the covers over his abdomen. The other stayed linked to mine. I was too stunned and in a total moment of unthinking to pull my hand away. I was overwhelmed and happy and worried and relieved and scared and a million different other things. This was all hitting me like a title wave and I was unable to swim. I was trying to stay afloat, but my mind screamed at me that I was failing miserably.

He smiled again. Seventh time, by the way. "You know, I didn't think I would be, but I'm really hungry." I could have kissed him then. I was afraid that that awkward silence would come back, but no he forced it away and with one simple humanly line put me at total ease, still kind of nervous, but better than a stalemate silence.

I smiled back. "Really?" I moved to the side of the bed to sit on the edge. "I just ate actually."

Eight. "Uh, you mean I missed lunch?" he said looking around the room before returning back to me.

I tightened my lips. "And dinner." I pointed out.

He looked at me. "I've been out that long?"

"Well you were shot." I was getting good at pointing things out to him.

Nine! I have gotten nine smiles now! He laughed at that, too. I get double brownie points!

"Excuse me?" the nurse said at the door. It was the dark haired nurse that had watched part of the game with me.

We both looked to him. "Uhm, your family it seems went home for something, would you like us to call them, or would you prefer too?" he said the last part looking at me.

I balked for a second before swallowing and answering. I hadn't expected to be put on the spot like that. "If you guys wouldn't mind calling that would be fine." I said. I flashed a look down at Light.

He smiled at me; ten. I smiled to myself. Was he always this charming or was it just me?

"Alright then, I will have someone at the front desk call them for you." The nurse said.

I smiled as I replied. "Thank you."

"No problem."

I sighed as the nurse left and Light and I were left alone again. Charming and breathtaking Light.

"So," he said his eyes shifting to my face as I looked down at him. "You're okay, right?"

My brow furrowed, and then I remembered he'd been out for the past few days. "Yeah, I made it out fine."

He sighed. His weight seemed to set back in to the bed a little. "Oh, good." He sounded more comfortable as he continued. "I really was hoping I didn't get shot for nothing." His eyes shifted to me. He was meaning it in several different contexts, if I was to believe right. He was definitely quite the charmer. "I'm really glad you didn't get hurt."

I nodded. I looked down at our hands. He was grasping it in more of a desperate manner than really holding it. I don't know if it would even count in first base let alone be considered a stepping stone. I looked up at him after a pause. "Thank you, Light." I said a bit nervous, but clearly sincere. I averted my eyes to the bed covers. "I really am so grateful, if you hadn't have tried to save me I would be in your spot or worse." I looked back up at him. "It sounds so cliché, but I never really considered that someone would take a bullet for me, but you did and you took it for me with out even knowing my name." I took a breath to keep the emotion down. "I just—yeah, thank you. It—you really—what you did really means a lot to me." I stumbled through the rest of it looking back down my cheeks stained with the embarrassment of admitting and admitting poorly that I was very thankful to him. I was admitting that I was vulnerable and he had saved me. No one had ever saved me before.

I heard him moving slightly and I felt his hand release mine. I closed my eyes. I'd ruined it. I'd already ruined it and he'd only been awake ten minutes.

My eyes flashed open as a long fingered hand stroked down the side of my face. I shifted my eyes leaving my head still bowed and looked at him. He was smiling at me his head tilled to look up in to my face. His smile got bigger as he made eye contact with me.

"Thank you," he said gently. "For saying that, but even more I'm really happy you're here, and I'm really happy I saw you in that drug store. And right now I don't know of anyone I would have rather woken up too." I smiled at him. His hand slid from my face and back to the bed when he intertwined our fingers now I watched. It was gentler and much more of holding hands material now. His long fingers slid down my wrist feeling the lines in my palm, reading and predicting every line. Then he threaded through my finger and closing them snugly to have an embrace with hands. It was a very charming way of holding hands.

When I raised my eyes I saw he was looking at the apples on the side table. He was looking at them very hungry. He looked up at me and looked back asking. "Are those edible?" he licked his lips slightly as he looked at them.

I smiled before I reached over and plucked one up. He watched it in my hands as I held it in front of me then reached and offered it out to him.

He smiled up at me before he took it with his opposite hand. He shifted his eyes to the bright red skin and let his honey eyes glaze over it until bringing it to his mouth and letting his teeth sink in and seemed to enjoy it immensely, as that crisp sound of breaking its skin and in to the white flesh below coupled with his actions. He brought the apple away a second later pulling a bite from it.

As he flipped the piece from the edge of his lips in to his mouth he looked to me. He offered the apple out to me. He swallowed swiftly before asking. "Do you want some?" his honey eyes glazing the situation over and his breathtaking charm flooded the room as he smiled a confident smile and offered the apple closer. The room seemed to stop as his hand held out that bright blood red fruit to me. Forbidden maybe? I wondered as I looked down at it. No, I thought. Not forbidden, at least not now, not at this point. But poisoned? Maybe.

"You look like you're enjoying it more than I would." I said.

He smiled again. Crooked with honey and bathing in swagger—of a good kind. "I don't know," he said acting as if it really was a mystery to the world. "It's really good."

"It's also yours." I pointed out.

He shrugged. "One bite won't make a difference." He looked at me still. Honey glazed charm still seeping through every word and doted ever action he took, down to even the slightest. "And besides if I gave it too you it would no longer be mine it would be yours."

"And you would be out an apple." I said.

He smiled. "It would be in good hands though."

I smiled at that. Sugarcoated complements seemed to just flow out to me, from these people. I looked at him. "Alright, I'll try it."

His grin grew wider to show his brilliant teeth and he held the apple out a little more.

I glanced at him before I took the apple in my free hand. I grasped it and I felt his hand let mine go as I numbly held it with both hands. Cupping the apple in front of me looking at it. Light's bite out of it stared up at me. I looked at it for a second longer before turning the apple a bit to the side of his piece. Then raising the cupped apple in my hands to my mouth I bit in. that crisp striking sound of his spell making him smile.

If it was poisoned it must have been with honey glaze and charming sprinkles because he was absolutely right. It tasted amazing and I reluctantly pulled away as I pulled a piece from the fruit. As I brought the fruit down and away from me I caught Lights smile. As beautiful as ever. He'd caste his spell and I'd taken it with little fight and now it was just up to him. Let him weave his spell and we'll see where we end up…

I swallowed. "You were right." I said. As I held the apple out to him. "It did taste really good." He took the apple from me quietly. He held it nonchalantly now.

"Told you." He said before not letting his eyes leave me he pulled another piece from the apple and flipped it in to his mouth again. His fingers weaved through mine again as I let it down and he smiled as he chewed. His fingers were laced with the spell and dripping with his magic. That's right, boy, work your spell. You have me and you know it. I just hope you don't destroy me with those honey colored eyes.

"So," he said swallowing again. "What happened to the bad guy?" he asked.

I sighed. "Well unfortunately I heard the nurses talking and the guy I hit will live. I'm not sure though, but I think he could be sent to prison for a very long time, but no police has been around or anything so I'm not sure."

"Has my dad been around at all?" he asked taking another bite right after.

Quick change of subject, but I answered. "Yeah he's been here a lot."

"Than the police are more then on it." He said swallowing before he did so.

I was confused. "What do you mean?"

He smiled as he went in for another bite. He answered me instead. "He's the Police Chief." Then he took out a particularly big piece.

"Oh," I let out as I well processed.

He smiled while he chewed then leisurely swallowed. "He's not that bad." He said still with a smile.

"No!" I gasped. "He's really nice, I just never thought that he—"

"He is." He assured me taking another bite.

I breathed. "So why haven't we been interviewed yet."

He shrugged. He was still chewing. I waited a moment as he swallowed. "Probably waiting for me to wake up."

"Aren't we supposed to be interviewed separately?" I smiled as I looked at him.

Another honey glazed smile. "Not if you're the chief's son."

My mouth opened. "You little sneak!" I said I wanted to hit him, but didn't for fear I might actually hurt him. "That's awful!" I said.

"What is?" he said his mouth full this time.

"You!" I said still a little shocked. "You can't take advantage of things like that!" I said.

"Why not?" he said.

I opened my mouth to rely then just settled for "oh, you are just terrible."

He smiled as he spoke his logic out to me. "It's not taking advantage his position, it taking the opportunities that come with certain aspects of my father's work."

I looked at him a second. I wasn't going to say anything. He smiled and offered the apple out to me again. I eyed him cautiously he offered it closer to me. I reluctantly took it, taking a bite. He smiled in satisfaction. I gave the apple back and he took it, taking a bite of his own.

"You are a menace." I said to him.

He smiled, yet again. He offered the apple out again as he said. "Yet you're still here." He pointed out.

I just looked down at the apple. I wasn't going to give in so easily this time. "I'm trying to be nice. You said you wanted me here so I'm staying here."

"But," he said and held up our locked hands. "You really don't seem to be against any of this." he let out joined hands down and offered the apple out again. "Come on," he said smiling a charming smile this time.

"What if you poisoned it?" I asked.

He smiled a mischievous smile then. "Than I would have had you with the first bite, don't you think?"

I looked at him skeptically. "Hades offered Persephone a pomegranate to force her to stay with him."

He smiled. "Do you think me the God of Death, fair Goddess of Prosperity?" he raised his eyebrows at me.

"If I took that last bite would I be bound to stay with you?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Why don't we find out?" he offered the apple closer.

I rolled my eyes at him as I took the apple. "A God of Death or a God of Charm?" I poised the question to him. I bit into the apple the next moment.

"So now you believe me to be Eros?" He said innocently. "What an interesting twist."

I rolled my eyes at him and took another bite out of the apple in my hand. Then I offered the last remaining bite to him. "If you are Eros, you wouldn't have given me a chance to accept the apple, you would have had no need to do so."

"So I'm the God of Death for sure?" he said with a crooked smile.

"If you are the God of Death than I am Snow White." I said tersely.

He smiled. "Are you sure I am not both?" he took the apple finally from my fingers.

"Both of what?" I asked.

"Hades and Eros." He said. He still simply held the apple in his hand having not taken the last bite yet.

I looked at him. "Love and Death can't coexist." I said shaking my head.

"Can't it? They are both engulfing and consuming, both open new worlds to some place new."

"You can rebound from love you don't rebound from death." I said.

"Not if the love is true enough." He said. "If it's deep enough it's always there, always consuming."

"Are you saying that love is a form of death?" I asked skeptical.

"If we are saying that they are both portals to a new life," he offered the apple back to me. "Than absolutely."

I looked at the red apple. There was one last bite left on it. "Apples are a symbol for death." I pointed out.

He smiled. "And they are a symbol for love as well." he said smooth and sweet. "Take it." He whispered a second after.

I found myself doing as he said as I took it from his long fingers. I looked down at the now striped apple. "If I eat this do you think I will die than?" I asked.

"No," he said. I raised the apple to my lips taking the last bite. "It couldn't kill you, only persuade you to stay with me," he said.

I chewed slowly.

"Or" he said, "I could be casting a spell over you, Snow White." He said this with a smile of honey.

I looked at him. He held out his hand for the core. I slid it into his hand. He raised his arm and shot it into the wastebasket at the door. The triumphant thud sounded as it struck the bottom.

"I was always partial to apples." He said numbly.

I looked up at him. I raised an eyebrow. "You, really? I would think you were more of a pear kind of guy."

He smiled wide at that and let out a laugh. "Well you know I wouldn't pass one up, if it presented itself."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Men are all pigs." I stated.

He held up our intertwined hands. "And yet you're still around." He pointed out again.

"Light!" we both looked to the door just in time to see Sayu running in, her arms wide as she flew to Light. I had just enough time to step back as the room was flooded. A lot of Light looking people poured into his room including his parents and his friend from the store. He was hand in hand with a straight haired blonde with red lip sticked lips petite and very cute looking. She was bordering on model adorable. I went to pull my hand from Lights only to have him squeeze tighter as Sayu hugged him. He locked eyes with me briefly pulling my hand up and closer to him. Sayu set back on her feet and started speaking hurriedly to Light. I sighed as I tried to force my claustrophobia down.

I jumped as I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned to see Lights mother, Amy. She was smiling at me and she glanced at my and her sons locked hands before looking back to my face and speaking. "Thank you, Joan, for being here when my son woke up."

My mouth was hanging open a bit, so I decided to make use of it shrugging a bit. "It was nothing." I breathed out.

"Well it meant something to our family, thank you." She said. She reminded me of my aunts; sweet, kind, and always supportive with just a dash of guilt on top. It was like a huge layered birthday cake for a forty-year-old mother of twelve. On the bottom was creamy icing fluffy goodness with love sprinkled all over it that held up the rest of the cake and on top of that was a big pink layer of thick gooey kindness and attentiveness and on top was a layer of compliments and unending Christmas and birthday gifts and then to top it all of there was that little hint to remind it all that yes you were turning forty and yes you should feel guilty for all that unlawful fun you had. She was definitely a mom.

I smiled at her as she turned to her son. "Light!" she said excited and loving.

"Mom." His was a bit more exasperated and surprised as he turned and embraced his mother. I smiled at how much bigger he was than her. He touched her gently though with care and an equal amount of love, which made me smile more. As he released her and smiled a broad smile at her he softly spoke. "Hey, mom."

Then it was her turn. "Oh, Light, honey I love you so much." She said it with love and care. A very small boy with Lights hair and dark eyes pushed past me to the side of the bed as what looked like an Amy look alike that was taller scolded him and a very Light looking man looked over at her then to the kid. Light really did have a big family. "We were all so worried about you!" I looked around the room there was probably twenty people in the room. Suddenly Lights father was standing next to me. I looked up at him. He smiled a mirror smile to Lights slightly crooked one and gave me a friendly eyebrow lift. I smiled in humor and turned back to his mother. "I can't even believe what has happened to you! Oh honey, I'm just so glad you're awake and of course we are so happy your safe and the doctor says after a while you will be just fine."

Then she turned to me. "Oh, and Joan we are just so glad you were there for Light." she started to tear up. "I—I just—I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't been there to save my son." I wanted to interject, but the words just flew away as abruptly I was hugged—again. I stopped again. I really was not used to hugs or huggy people, which Marge and her family did not count. I mean, I like hugs I was just never used to getting them a lot. I usually only got them in a formal, stand offish, loose, 'I think I should give you a hug right now,' kind of hugs, not tight, embracing, squeeze the air out of you, 'I'm going to show my love for you through this hug,' hugs. This was new territory for me.

There was a chorus of, "Oh's," through out the room. I noticed oddly that in the process of the hug my hand was no longer in Lights. I a bit awkwardly tried hugging back before after a finally tight squeeze she released me.

"I just want you to know that we all are so grateful for you." She said still tearing up.

I held my mouth open for a second before any words came out. "Uhm," I glanced over at a smiling Light then back to his mother. "Wh—thank you," I finally settled for. "Thank you very much." I said more definite this time nodding a little. Amy turned in to her husbands shoulder as he supported her teary shaken body. She was beaming at me and then turned to say something to another person in the room.

I was—well I was still in shock a little to tell the truth. I dropped my hands from fidgeting in front of me to one to my side the other to the bed. I glance down as Light's long fingers intertwined in mine swiftly. I looked down at our hands for several seconds and looked up at him. He was watching me, and a crooked smile crept in again.

"Light—" I started, but was cut off by his mother.

"Now everybody, now that we all know that Light is awake and doing good I am having Rosa," she turned to me as she said the next part. "My sister," then turning to the room again. "Bring by some dinner for Light and Joan and all of you are invited to my house where we'll have dinner there and we have plenty of rooms to stay in for everyone that came in out of town." I felt Lights grip on my hand pull a little tighter and I looked down at him. He was working very hard to get up on his elbows. I looked around see no one else really watching me as I sat next to him and leaned closer. He smiled and leaned against me. Using me for a bit of support and I helped him sit up. "Now everyone tomorrow morning we are making breakfast at my home then bring it here again for Light and Joan, and then we'll go from there, but if you would like to come tomorrow to visit these two you are more than welcome too, we will more than likely be spending the day here."

My cheeks started to heat again as I felt Lights breath against my cheek. It was as if he was emitting his warmth. He was sending shivers down my spine with each breath. I breathed slowly in and out in and out. It was all about not letting him see what he was doing to me at the moment. Worse I was scared his family would see what he was doing to me at that moment. It was his spell and now that he was no longer asleep he breathed his deep poison out to me out for me to grasp at frantically.

_And as it so becomes he was the first to discover the tale that was written of your fall. The simple bound book that lay on the shelf. Until of course a certain prince discovered the true tale. Of a common folk fairietayle. Or so he thought. So now here he is and as the morning light, comes so does the prince, the man that is the product of a Wicked Queen. _

It was at least two hours before people really started to leave. In that time Light had progressively gotten weaker. At first I didn't notice it really until an arm went around my waist and he pulled me on to the bed more. Then a little more then a little more until I was cross-legged on the bed sitting. He leaned more and more on me too until finally he resituated and ended up in very compromising position. I was, well holding him. His head resting against my collarbone and his arms limply around my waist. One of mine was around his shoulders holding him from slipping and the other rested on his neck. I noticed that not a soul in the room thought it was out of the ordinary for the two of us to be like this.

I sighed looking down at him. His eyes were closed, he was so close on the edge of sleep again. I rubbed my hand against his neck soothingly and his eyes cracked open he had a very groggy stare up at me. "Hmmm?" he moaned lightly.

"Do you want to sleep?" I asked.

"Mhmmm, I kind of have been a little." He said.

I shifted to let him lean back on the bed. But a hand pulled out from around my waist and stopped me lightly resting on my shoulder. "You don't have to leave." He said. "I can sleep with you here." His eyes were wide-awake now.

"Light—" I started. And he suddenly leaned up to get on to his knees. My arms shot out to try to support him.

"Joan I really I don't want to overwhelm you." He said bringing his hands to my face.

"Light honestly we met—" I looked over at the clock. "Well now two days ago, but really it was just yesterday." I pointed out trying not to get lost in sweet honey colored eyes.

He swallowed a bit and bit his lip. "Joan, I—" he sighed. "I have no idea what to say to you." He paused before opening his mouth to speak again.

"Light!" both our heads suddenly turned to his mother. "What are you doing? You are going to hurt yourself! Lay back down this instant." His mother in seconds was up off the couch and to her son. I quickly went to scramble off the bed. Light couldn't stop me with his mom there. "Lay down! This instant! The doctor said you should try not to pull out the stitches and if you do you'll just have to stay longer now lay down!"

Light did as ordered of him. He shot a glance to check where I was before properly laying down again. I was incidentally working my way into one of the opposite corners than his mother. I thought about making my escape then, but my blood stained coat was on the chair next to the couch.

Light sighed softly as his mother scolded him hot temperedly. I stayed where I was edging my way behind the monitors. I stopped after a moment realizing it would be easier to leave than hide. So I started to edge my way over to my coat after a moment. Until I was met with Lights father. He held up the coat limply. I took it folding it over my arm.

"Thank you." I said. He nodded saying nothing. I looked to Light now being tucked in by his mother. I debated saying goodbye to him before he finally just looked at me.

"See ya." I whispered. And waved my hand as his mother lectured on.

"You're leaving!" Light sat straight up ignoring his mother and destroying all of her effort to make him comfortable.

"Light!" his mother said through gritted teeth.

He glanced over at her. "Sorry mom." He said then back to me. "Where are you going?" all that was left in the room was Light, his parents and his asleep sister in a chair near the coffee table.

And his parents eyes were now on me and his big smooth sweet honey ones might I add. "Home," I answered a little nervous.

"You don't have to leave." Light said.

"Well, Light I've been here all day and you probably want to be with your family—"

"He's been with us all day honey it's fine if you wanted to stay." His mother said sweetly.

I smiled. Great now his family was in love with me. "Light, I really, I need to go home and well shower."

He smiled then he laughed. Looked down for a moment. When he stopped and looked up. "Do you promise to come back, after you shower?" he asked.

"And sleep would be nice." I added.

He gave me an incredulous look. "Only if you come back in the morning."

I smiled. "Alright."

"Okay." He said and smiled. He motioned me over. I sighed setting the coat on the foot of the bed and going to him. He leaned over to me and I nervously almost stepped back when we both jumped as his mother spoke.

"Well you know the three of us should get going."

She said as she reached for a dark pink coat pulling it on and lightly tapping Sayu's shoulder. "Come on dear we should leave." Then she rushed in her puffy coat over to Light. He lovingly leaned over to her and hugged her. "Good bye dear."

"Good bye mother." He said kissing her cheek and she did likewise to him. His father came over the same exchange happened again. Sayu mumbled something to her brother that he smiled at and also hugged him. I stood there watching the happy family and wished I wasn't.

Once they were gone I knew instantly as Light still sitting up laced his fingers through mine. I jumped at the touch and looked back at him. He smiled wide. Then he pulled my hand over on to the bed. His smile was lazier with fatigue.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" he asked, his voice now was quiet and sweet and terribly inviting, he said it a bit remorseful like he wanted a different answer than he expected.

I gave him a sad smile. "I need a shower and I really need sleep."

He looked down at my hand in his. Then he looked back up a second latter to my face. "Can I confess something?" he whispered still in that quiet reserved voice.

I bit my lip as I smiled and nodded.

"When I saw you in the store I thought you looked really, well cute,"

I looked at him, my eyebrows raised.

"But when I saw those other guy come in and look at you, I –" he stopped and pulled my hand closer. "I really didn't want you to get hurt."

I smiled a bit, I didn't get hurt, but he got shot that was a nice trade. I thought, my thought itself drenched in sarcasm.

He leaned in closer to my neck. "And you know you really looked hot when you hit that guy."

Shivers were sent down my spine as he breathed the words like a secret. The sweet fumes of his poison hung in the air wrapping me in their warm embrace and holding me there. Suffocating slowly to his tragic magic. I wouldn't have been surprised if he offered me another poison apple at that moment.

"I—" I had nothing.

He leaned back away for a few seconds smiling still. "Are you still going home?"

I breathed. Air in air out. "I—will definitely be back." His spell was working perfectly, but I had to thwart it at least a little. Even though I knew in the end that his spell would win.

"But you're still going to leave me here alone." He pointed out.

I looked to the door. "There are nurses here and a couple of doctors and I bet if you called someone from your family they would come back." I said not looking at him; he was making me feel guilty about leaving, already when I haven't even left yet.

He leaned his head on my shoulder. "Hmmm," I looked down at him. He was frowning.

I cracked a smile. "You're an extremely poor loser aren't you." I said, confident the answer was yes.

He nodded. "Yeah."

I looked away from him. I couldn't look into those beautiful eyes and continue to insist I was leaving.

He turned his head just slightly so his breath tickled across my skin and brightened the room just with that simple caress of its softness, to say the least it had an effect on me. I shivered and I knew he felt it as he slid a bit closer nuzzling my neck and—

The nurse walked in. "Hourly check up!" she announced. Light shot back and I stumbled to stand. I stepped back as she all too gingerly practically skipped to the side of the bed. I stood there and swiftly retrieved my coat again.

"Let's just check your temperature here." The nurse prattled on. Light looked down at her. He didn't look as happy anymore. He actually looked like he was trying to hide his irritation.

"Good Night Light.". I said to him and he raised his hand waving. Ha, ha get that 'night light!' That's funny

"Come back soon." He said looking around a little miffed. He kind of made me want to laugh at how miffed he looked at fact that A. he hadn't gotten me to stay there and B. he hadn't been able to continue trying to persuade me to stay longer.

I smiled at him as I left out the door. He was still looking rather hurt as I strode out and on to my chessboard again.

Black, white, black, white, black, white, black…

_Quite ironic do you not think? That as the queen lay in her deathbed that, like you and your coffin, created herself, her son started his journey out to you? Yes, but this story is just filled with irony, I do believe. Who would have guessed that this prince would come for you? That this son of the devil herself should give birth to your _light_ and finally hope? Certainly not the Queen. It is ironic indeed. Very ironic to think, how much you will love this prince and how much in return he will love you. To destroy you maybe? Do you think that was his intention when he set out? I do. And yet ironic again. He will free you from that ice and he will give you that perfect kiss you've longed for. Do you believe that he will love you? Oh, yes he will Snow White. He is your prince. The prefect prince you deserve. _

I walked down the illuminated halls, counting rooms. 11, 12, 13! I turned in and stopped slightly. Light wasn't asleep. A nurse was in the room. He sat up and was watching her. I almost stepped in when she spoke.

"So do you have a girlfriend?" I froze. The nurse by any means was pretty. She had a slim figure and pretty mahogany hair, a sweet model face with long eyelashes that famed sparkly bright green eyes. She was definitely someone I could see him with.

I wanted to shrink back but my feet didn't allow me to, focused on what his answer would be. My heart was pounding in my head as time stopped an every move he made become astronomical to planet Joan. He smiled the motion slow and smooth but took an eternity as he looked at the nurse and answered.

"I wouldn't consider her that just yet."

"So an interest definitely?" the nurses eyes sparkled.

"You could say that." He answered dully. I apparently still was going unnoticed.

The nurse was taking as much time as possible as she seemed to fiddle with the instrument in her hands. "So is she cute?" I couldn't stand it any more I stepped back and slid to the wall next to the door. I could feel the label baring the number 13 pressed against the space between my shoulder blades. I dropped my head as my ears pricked listening hard for the answer I didn't want to here.

"Yeah."

"Oh, how did you guys meet?" I sucked in air. Holding my breath waiting for the answer I wanted.

"Hey, Joan!" my head shot up. Sayu again. I heard a muffled answer at the same moment she had spoken. I would never know the answer now. But then again there was the card that was with the roses. Maybe that was my answer right there. Clearly written in curly cursive.

"Hi, Sayu." I sighed.

"Hey what are you doing out here?" she said. It was a bit loud I'm sure Light could hear.

I thought about lying. Really I'm not going to lie, I did really consider lying, but the truth for once didn't sound that bad. "A nurse was in the room so I figured I'd wait to go in." I said pocking my thumb out in the direction of the room.

"Oh, silly come on, Light has been dieing to see you." She said hurriedly linking our arms and half dragging my stumbling self into the room.

"Look who I found!" she announced her other arm outstretched above her head. I wanted to cry the second I saw his face. It was like night going to day. His slightly somber face morphed into the quintessence of his title. His smile burst onto his face and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at me. Then he spoke smooth and sweet. "Joan!" he exclaimed excitedly. I really like the way he said my name. I really liked the way he said, well anything.

"Hi," I said weakly raising my hand and waving limply.

He smiled again. "You came back." He said. I stepped closer to him. When did the nurse leave? Oh, no one cares anyway.

"I promised I'd be back." I said. He slid up on the bed making room for me. I sat down on the bed facing him and my back to the door.

"You look nice today," he commented. I stifled a laugh. If a red long sleeve shirt and jeans looked good to him I wasn't going to argue.

"You look nice with your eyes open." totally true on that.

He snorted a laugh. "I guess I'm a lot more fun to be around when I'm conscious."

"The conversation is better." I said nodding.

"Oh, come on a one sided conversation can be just as amazing."

I looked at him skeptically. "I don't know I always get the answers I want, but some how it's not as stimulating. I always know what your going say, terribly predictable."

He smiled again. He peered behind me. I looked over my shoulder. Sayu was still there. She was standing looking very highs school student awkward against the doorframe. She also looked very excited and eager and glad. I wasn't sure, but I was betting it had something to do with Light and me.

"Oh, yeah, hi," she said waving. I smiled at her.

"Hey Sayu?" Light said. I glanced at him before looking back to his sister. He looked and sounded polite, but underneath was slight annoyance.

"What?" she said, oblivious.

"Didn't you have something you wanted to tell mom?" he said with a smile. This wasn't _my_ smile this one was a bit more formal, forced like he was staying nice, but not his happiest.

She looked at him for a second. He gave her a venomous expression. "Oh, that! Yeah, see ya later Joan." she called then left the room.

I turned back to Light an eyebrow raised. He was smiling brightly at himself. "Was that really necessary?" I said.

He smiled wider. "I thought so."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I didn't."

He leaned on his elbow on his side. I slid a bit more onto the bed so I could at least sit properly. I let my flip-flops slide off and pulled my legs up and crossed them. Light smiled, in front of me and reached out his hand and lightly ran his index finger over the arch on the top of my foot.

I smiled at him. I figured a trade for a trade, as I reached forward and slid a piece of hair away from his face.

He leaned forward and up slightly his hand going from my foot to slide up to my hand resting over my feet. I leaned down and my other hand went to the side of his face to brush another piece behind his ear. He smiled at me and leaned in more.

"Joan!" we both jerked back and farther away then a couple inches, which we had been just a moment before.

I looked behind me. It was Light's mother. And several Light mother carbon copies with a bit of variation. They all held something in their hands anything from a paper plate covered with tinfoil to what looked like a crock-pot. Light adjusted his arm sliding his hand underneath himself and fluidly pushed himself up to a sitting position again. I just looked over my shoulder not bothering to move in the slightest and the group of woman entered the room. Lights mother hurriedly set the plate in her hand down on a counter and went to the bed. I was about to move so she could hug Light when she held her arms out to me.

I blinked several times before leaning forward and letting her embrace me. Over her shoulder I peered at Light. He was watching with a smile of satisfaction.

"It is so good to see you Joan," she said as she did so. I patted her shoulder lightly and she release. "You look healthier today." She said as she held my shoulders at arms length.

"Thank you?" I tried.

She smiled. "I think some sleep did you a lot of good."

I smiled back. Then she turned to Light. She embraced him as always with love, caring, and pride. I smiled at the open display of affection. I tilted my head to the side as I watched the exchange of 'I love you's' and 'how are you's today?' Light was always so unbelievably sweet with his mother. I blinked as I watched them further. He was so kind and loving with his family. I glanced over at the roses. The card was still in the exact spot I had left it meaning Light either had yet to notice it or had yet to feel the need to bother with it. The roses looked back at me like a mirror. A mirror telling solely the truth. No fabricated lies of honey glazed words just the cold, bare, sinfully beautiful, and terrifying truth. They whispered how Light clearly had someone else. I looked back at him. Maybe Light was for the moonlight. The beautiful, lying moonlight.

"Joan, dear?" it was the sweet voice of Amy, Lights mother.

I looked up at her. She had set the plate down on the tray at eh side of the bed and was pealing the tin foil off light had slid closer to me his arm behind my hack and his shoulder very close to me. He was peering at the plate eagerly looking at what his mother had brought. His mother peeled the rest of the tin foil off the plate to reveal none other than French toast. I shifted my eyes to Light. He was smiling now as he looked at the food.

"Now do you want some of this dear?" Lights mother asked as I looked over at her clearly excited son.

"No, thank you though." I said to his mother.

Light looked over at me. "What?" he said at me staring at him.

"You are such a guy." I said smiling.

He smiled a wide crocked grin. "Because I like my mom's food?"

I turned a baleful eye on him. "You like any food in sight." I said. I turned back to his mother. She was smiling—very knowingly—at our exchange.

"If you want I could try some of your food to see if I like it just as much." He said softly in my ear. I turned back to him.

"It wouldn't matter if you liked it or not you'd say you did just because."

He gave me a confident smile. "You," He snaked an arm around me. "Just think you have me figured out now, don't you?"

I crossed my arms and continued to face him. "Prove me wrong." I said.

"Alright." He said.

His mother handed him a paper plate loaded with toast smothered with strawberries and syrup. He pulled me into his shoulder so he could hold the plate in the hand that was wound around me. He took the fork with the other, not looking away form me, stabbed a strawberry, and popped it in his mouth. He smiled as he chewed.

I looked at him incredulous. "And how is this proving me wrong?" I asked.

He looked down at the plate in his hand. He cut a square out and popped it in his mouth. He chewed leisurely and smiled at me swallowing and answered. "I didn't say I was going to prove it right now." He said.

I looked away shaking my head. Lights mother and I'm guessing aunts were watching the exchange and smiled all very amused.

"He's terrible." I said. I was still shaking my head.

His mothers smile widened. "Don't worry dear he's always sweet though."

I smiled at that. "Yeah he is." I said and looked up at his happily eating smile. "At least he's that." That stupid charming little boy.

His mother smiled that knowing smile again as she watched us.

_Did you know also that he had to fight to get to you? Why yes in fact he did. For you see the queen had a wall built surrounding your forest round about to keep any wondering fellow from possibly stumbling upon you, form possibly waking you from your sleep. Silly Queen, she did not foresee that the magical and beautiful son would destroy a portion. That he would rip though that wall. He was thinking still that he was going to destroy you, Snow White. Thinking still that he would pierce your heart and set his Queen finally free, free to be the fairest of them all. Irony yet again for that mirror that caused all of this trouble was what led him to you. He consulted it and it was still true._

About an hour latter Light and I were faced with being alone again. We sat on the bed across form each other. He had long finished his third plate of breakfast and was now lying back on the raised head of the bed looking up at me. I was cross-legged sitting on the bed his knee leaning on mine and I had a hand on the top of it.

We had been silent for about ten minutes, as his family had just left after feeding the boy in front of me. He was looked very satisfied his arms up and hands behind his head.

After a minute or so he let his eyes slowly slip closed. I watched him rubbing his knee quietly. I turned my head to look over at the roses. They were staring back with their horrible expression. I sighed. I didn't want an answer, but more over I didn't want a broken heart.

"Hey, Light?" I asked.

"Hmmm?" he hummed contentedly in answer.

"I have something I want to ask you."

He didn't move only sighed contentedly and spoke softly. "Ask away."

I crawled over his legs and reached over to the table retrieving the letter.

"Hmm?" he grunted as I went over his legs. As I sat back with the letter he sat up and supported himself on his back on his arms looking down wonderingly at what I had in my hands.

As I looked down at the card and crawled back over a bit on the bed he sat up more his legs on either side of me pulled them up and leaned his elbows on his knees putting himself very close to me. He was peering down at the envelope. I was on my knees in front of him holding the envelope with both hands. I frowned a bit as I pulled the card out from it and held it out for him. One hand went to my shoulder rubbing my arm affectionately and the other took the card.

"What is this?" he asked, looking up at me as he did.

I felt tense and a little bashful as I admitted to him. "The day before you woke up the roses came and that little card was with them."

He looked at me. "And you read it?" he said.

"I got really bored," I started to fidget with my hands. "And I figured you wouldn't mind really." I said sheepishly.

He smiled and rubbed his hand on my shoulder and upper arm. "And you clearly found something in here." He said. "Is it something your uncomfortable with?"

I didn't answer for a second resigning to just say. "Just read it, please."

He sighed. And flipped the card open his eyes scanned the card quickly and his face changed it had been concerned at first, but now was a mix of emotions a bit of rage but mostly understanding now. "Oh," he breathed.

"Light, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to read your card I didn't think it would say anything you didn't want me to know. I—just—I'm sorry." I looked down at my hands feeling incredibly forlorn about my actions now.

His hand rubbed my shoulder again. "Oh, Joan. I am so sorry you had to find this," he said. "This is—a completely misleading few sentences."

I looked up at him. "Is it really?" I asked.

His hand went to my face and brushed a long piece of hair away. "Yes." His eyes looked completely sincere.

"Than what is it then?" I asked.

He looked in to my eyes as he answered. "She's a coworker. And last week we simply had a business meeting." He brushed his thumb across my cheek. "And I won't lie to you we did at one time have a—more romantic relationship."

"What about now?" I said soberly.

He looked down then back up. "Now she wishes she hadn't rejected me when she did."

I swallowed as I watched his face. "Are you lying to me?" I asked.

He looked away to the door and rubbed my arm. He looked back after a second. "You know I kind of am. Last week proved to the both of us there were still a lot of fresh feelings there."

"So what am I? A little cuddle buddy in the hospital?" I said after pressing my lips into a hard line.

He dropped the card and let his other hand go to my face. "Hey, look at me." he said. I raised my head slightly. "After what happened a few days ago I can honestly say there is little to no feeling left there for her." I looked away. His eyes were still on me. "I already can see there's a big difference in between you and her." A small smile sparked. "I mean she hasn't even dropped by and you've been here since the moment I got here. It's no longer a contest," he leaned in to my ear. "You win." He whispered.

I looked over at him. "You are a terribly charming person Light." I said still somber and sober.

"Are you saying you don't know if you can trust me?" he said.

"I don't know. This has a lot of potential for a heart break here." I pressed my lips again into a hard line.

He looked to the window. "I won't hurt you, physically or emotionally." He looked down at me. "You have given me a piece of your heart. You gave it to me at the shooting, and I know you may not believe me, but I'm not going to let that piece be harmed."

I looked away. "You are also very good with words." I said.

He didn't get mad or aggravated. He knew I was right. The situation looked sketchy and he knew it, he knew everything I had said about him was true and that some way there was almost nothing he could say to fix the situation. He leaned down to my ear again.

"Tell me what to do to prove myself my lady and I will do it."

I leaned into his shoulder. Affair, cheating, alternate motives, all be damned. He was warm and as always his spell was winning. "I don't know Light." I said quietly. "I don't know what to say to you, I just really hope you aren't lying to me."

He sighed let his chin rest against my head. "I wish I could say something to make this situation go away, but I would only be proving your theory right." He wrapped his arms around me more. "I guess only time will dispel you fears of me."

I said nothing. Simply thinking on his choice of words. Dispel…if only that were so. If only I could dispel you and everything I feel. None of this would be a problem. Is this your spell? Id your spell of honey and apples bring on this amazing amount of love, support, and affection, but did it also have a side effect? Did this amazing amount of fear for you come with all those honey-glazed words? I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

"_Snow White, Snow White she is the one you seek, she holds your heart just as you will wake her from her sleep. She is the key, to freeing your Queen the key to making things truly be, and to hopefully helping you finally succeed" _

_Of course, the prince did not head the warning well. He took it as badge that only he was valiant enough to do the deed. But as we all know you Snow White already committed the horrible deed needed in this plot. The deed to turn the tables back around and spinning. So he yet strived into your wild forest, he trudged along those long forgotten paths, he fought off the beasts that the queen herself let loose and yet even still he thought he was there to bring you down. Little did he know, you did that yourself, you bit into that apple, you picked that rose, and you lay down in that glass coffin. You have already fallen you have already made quite a mess of things. So to the worthy prince the one that now comes to you._


	5. True Loves First Kiss

True Loves First Kiss

I let the warm soothing water run through my coal black hair. I smiled as I felt it skimming over my skin warming me from the outside in. Unthawing my heart and mind freeing up my movements, making it easier to move in my body.

I sighed as I realized it was time to get out. I had been in long enough between lazily washing myself, my hair, shaving my legs, and just simply standing there letting the steaming hot water run across me I had to get out now. I sighed as I did my long fingers hooking on to the knob just above the faucet and pulling it all the way to the right and shutting it off. I pulled back the dark blue shower curtain and pulled out a long big fluffy towel from the rack and wrapping it around me. I paused as I went past the mirror stopping and looking at the fogged up surface. I smiled and touched my finger to it. I cocked my head a bit as I traced my finger across the surface. I drew several more lines and then took my finger off and looked at my creation. It was an apple and reflecting the wall behind it was a deep dark red apple. Some how the though it suddenly didn't sit right with me and I clawed my hand across the surface, but frowned even more as the cold surface reflected the bloody slash marks.

Perturbed I simply left the small bathroom. I went into my bedroom. It was small with a tiny veranda leading out of it through a sliding glass door. There was my low queen bed with a white comforter and black underside and black pillow covers. Off to the opposite side to the small veranda was my closet. I went to it and dug through my cloths. I found what I wanted after a minute and swiftly dressed before going to the full-length mirror I had hung on the wall next to a dresser. Hanging it by the way had been quite a task, especially since it was the first time I had had to use power tools in my life. Utterly terrifying experience. I don't care what any feminist says power tools were made for men and there was a reason why.

I looked at my reflection frowning. My wet hair didn't help much, but a small part of me really wanted to look really nice when I went back to the hospital. I frowned before I trudged back to the closet and changed. Upon returning to the mirror I looked at myself and stomped this time back again to change yet again.

Finally the third time was the charm. Gray skinnies flat high top converse and a white Owl City shirt, with a black loose scarf bandanna. I decided on it and went to getting my hair done.

When I stepped out of my apartment door it was still dark. I had a feeling Light would be waiting and the hospital had to let me in, if they didn't I could just claim I had hypothermia and they would have to at least check me out before I'd stride off to Light's room. I had debated on wearing my long black coat and at the last second grabbing it as I had left. I was thankful as I bundled up in it and started off to Light.

_I must present a certain question. If things had gone the way all the books say would your prince have been less? He would have been different for sure. He would have been strong and brave but he would not have been your _light_. Is it foolish to say this prince the product of a Wicked Queen is truly the strongest and the bravest of all princes? For he had a task none other had to pull you out of a fate you created for yourself. He himself had to fight back that ice. He had to go against all he knew just to get you to love him. Which you do, you will, and you have. He is wicked and cruel as his devil spawned mother, but he is meant for only you, he is the imperfect son that some reading this story may say was god made just for you. Some one just on that horrible line between good and evil enough to save you to pull you from your sleep. So I guess if it were an answer you seek I would say yes I do believe he is the best, the prince that acts like a human. The prince that will protect you from all the threats around about you. _

I crept in to his dark room slowly. He was of course asleep. On his back still and looking peaceful yet again. The monitors and the fluid bag were still there. The blinds were down and the room was extremely dark. I crossed the room and removed my coat setting it on the couch as I went to the blinds I pulled them up halfway letting some of that beautiful New York night in. I looked out to my city. It was faintly different to me at night. Better, but not at the same time it was strangely familiar and frightening to me.

I looked for the out of sight stars, but after resigning that I wasn't going to find one I looked back to the room. A gray blue was caste over the room bringing out the auburn color of his hair. I sighed and pulled a chair over. I pulled it to the bed before seating myself in it. I sat in a familiar position leaning forward, my crossed arms on the bed, my chin resting over my hands.

_He is beautiful of course. Nothing like the Queen looks. Tall and broad, with eyes that shine like honey in the gleam of the sun. His hair the perfect golden auburn that gold from the sun was woven in through it all. Every inch of his skin made to grace this worlds sense of aesthetic senses, setting them on over load and gifting the world with his very being. Be is the embodiment of a golden beauty. He is the glorious son of a glorious queen. His beauty could even rival yours fair Snow White. As I said before this is the prince made for you. This is the prince that is meant to challenge you that is meant to make you cringe and is meant to love you more deeply than any other. He is your perfect match even down to every strand of that sun woven auburn hair. The archetype of the grievous son of the morning. _

I had alternate reasons too for showing up here so early than seeing Light; I had to think a few things over. He was, well forward and I was confused. It had been a day and he was now to the point he could make me crumble in seconds. He held my hand constantly and was on the verge of kissing me several times now. This was moving way too fast. He was nice really nice and nice looking for sure, but was it all going too fast for me? I liked him back for sure, but how much?

How do I even describe what it was about him? It was fire it was a honey glazed train wreck it was everything I could feel. He was mudding things up and spinning my head around like a top. If our relationship was music it'd be violent and confusing and almost lulling. It was so much now it was consuming ad horribly tempting. I was feeling the pure energy he seemed to give off and I loved it but more than that I was starting to crave it I was starting to crave everything about him. He was like a honey-spiked drug. Something I felt I needed now I craved I'd crawl across the floor for and shine and cry if I didn't get it. I wanted him. Liar or not a liar. I wanted to call him mine and hold on to him even if the world was caving in on me.

The worst part of it all was I was here again looking over him and feeling the exact same thing that warmth like he was mine like I had maybe done what I needed to do and captured his heart and I knew it was the opposite. He held mine in a box, he had it in his hand and he held it there almost dangling it seemed. Like this was all a sick game he felt he could play on me and tear me apart with it. It was all so confusing at times he was so perfect the prince of any fairietayle and then I saw that sprinkled charm getting weaseling it's way in. he'd use that smile till the end of time to get what ever he wanted. It was a game to him in a sense. If he lost it was not biggy, there was twenty other girls all waiting in line for him. If I lost it would be devastating. I would fall again and this time I had nowhere to run. I was where I needed to be. New York the city of my dreams. I just never knew my dream city would have a prince charming.

There was something there something from yesterday I couldn't explain. I wasn't sure if it was the whole I saved his life he saved mine thing, but there was a thread there. A tight connecting thread that each time I saw him was slowly being joined by more threads, but the one seemed made of steal like it was unbreakable. I couldn't sever it even if I wanted too at this point, I figured. So would I let him take this thread and form a steal cable of just let it be a thread? I wouldn't mind being with him.

_He is quite different from the devil-spawned mother that gave him life though. His heart is pure enough; the only difference is that shadow that is ever present. He is kind, compassionate, empathetic, and above all else he can love. He can love unlike that Wicked Queen. Unlike her he more than has the ability. He can love, he can experience love, for he is human and he can love as deep if not deeper than any human can. He truly was made for you dear, fair, Snow White. _

He was so devastatingly beautiful and his family was definitely loving and highly accepting of me. Ha, they treated Light like the protocol son. He was their little golden boy. He all-star perfect son. And who was I to object? He seemed like that boy to me. It was different though. Had expected him to bore me. To put me to sleep but he, well he definitely didn't do that. I guess the golden boy wasn't perfect. He was attractive and knew it. That as I've already seen has already started to have consequences. Every woman in sight loved him and he knew it. He knew it and he loved it. He loved the attention. He knew what people thought of him and he relished in it. He wanted to be admired and he loved all the compliments. Arrogant? Maybe a little. He loved to be what everyone else thought he was. eh was the golden boy. He was accustomed to it. But I wasn't little miss supermodel. I was just the girl that lived in an apartment over a music store and continued to work helplessly at her dreamed of being an artist. Would a union like that ever really work? Would he want the little starving artist? Or would he reject em after finding out I wasn't all his mother cracked me up to be. I wasn't the run of the mill golden princess.

I frowned a bit. If I rejected him now that would bring a lot of heartache for the both of us. But if I rejected him later it would be worse than if I did it now. Oh, I don't know. He's so…caring. He was protective, noble if not overly so, and he was also so affectionate. I laughed, he was also selfish and childish and terribly manipulating. He would use those honey eyes to get what ever he wanted. Did he really want me though? His horrible spell has been grinding away at my walls since the moment he pushed me out of the way of that bullet. So what did he want? Was I a practice subject? Let's just see what charming the little miss independent would be like? Just a test run to see if I might want one, one day. Or a consolation on how blonde's with big bright blue eyes are the best. Was what he was doing to me purely experimentation? Was I being used a little cuddle buddy in a hospital to make his stay a little better to get through? Questions around every corner I guess. But what was I really to him/

That was a huge question. Was I going to be the one hurt out of this and watch him walk off with some air-headed supermodel? I didn't want that at all. I wanted him. I couldn't say no anymore. Ha, its' only been a day and already I know I couldn't deny him. Oh, Light. Light of my life. Will you stay true or leave me feeling blue?

I watched his chest slowly rise and fall in time with his breathing. Lost in his dream world, lost in his _fairietayle. _I looked over at the clock at least two or three hours until either he or his family were even awake. I closed my eyes letting the darkness over take me. At least when he woke up he'd have me here and I knew that's at least was something he wanted.

_Did you realize he was made for you as he came in to that clearing? You were too lost weren't you? Lost in that endless seaming dreamland. What were you dreaming that moment? Was it of another prince? Was it of him? Do you even know what you were dreaming? I hope you did, for your sake I hope you did. As he approached that ice-covered cottage did you sense him then? Did you feel his malice? Did you hear his souls desire at that moment? Would you have ran, if you could have? Did you hear that singing metallic song as he drew that long steel blade? Id you want to scream as he broke that strong wood door down. I don't know, I cannot say what you felt because you were not awake therefore I don't even believe you knew what you were feeling. _

Honey colored eyes open slowly. Light yawned lazily and much like a cat he thought to himself. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted letting his eyes fall half hooded. The bed wasn't that comfortable. No not in the least. It had only been a few days, but he was tired of it already. It was hard and the blankets were scratchy and he felt trapped in those cotton sheets. It wasn't warm and it wasn't cool. It was a very lukewarm uncomfortable mix of a hospital bed. Not a good milkshake mix either, like one of those truth or dare mixes you get when you choose dare at the wrong moment.

He knew the wound was still there, he didn't even have to move to know the whole in his chest was still there, but he almost felt he could move more freely, almost. There was still that dull ache that sort of itched and at the same time just made him want to go back to sleep. It was a compact thing that made it almost seem like the bullet was still in there that it was this in him and the metal made it ache harder. It was deep in his that ache was. It wasn't stabbing or throbbing just constant. He wanted it to go away. He was tired of it and he was tired of staying here.

He looked to the door letting his head more of lull in that direction. Golden light was spilling in from the entrance. He wasn't sure what time it was, but judging from the bitter grayish light starting to flood the room it was just nearing dawn. He shifted a bit as he looked out the door. The hospital seemed to just wake as he was. He gave a sly smile at that. Even time stopped to wake with him. He rolled his eyes at himself. He needed to stop that. He already had a fathead. Half lately thanks to every one pouring over him. He looked back around o the room. People rushing around and hurrying on his or her way. He looked over to the windows the blinds were drawn half way up—

He frowned he didn't do that and nurse had let them down just after Joan left. Then he saw the afore mentioned individual. He smiled down at her. She had kept her promise after all. She was now the one sleeping, but at least she was here. He went to move his hand to her head only to have a shot of pain line his arm and shoulder. He groaned through gritted teeth and started searching the room for that blasted button. The IV aching in his wrist was for a reason and by darn he was going to take advantage of it. It took him several seconds, but soon he found it off to the side of the bed. Another shot of pain laced his shoulder as he reached for it. Grasping it he yanked it over to the bed. He wouldn't have to look for it again that way. Then he swiftly pushed it feeling the extra pressure against his aching veins as a shot of Morphine was injected.

_I do believe there was one moment you felt his hatred and his malice, but I also feel you felt his love. As his heart changed as he stared across your glass coffin. The ice that dominated the cottage that held the walls up and acted as a foggy glass in the windows and blocking out all _light_. As he saw you there lying deep lost in your harmless slumber. It was a moment of changing for the two of you. He couldn't bear to see you in that coffin and I don't believe you could bear any longer to stay in that coffin. If you had the power to wake I do think you would have at that moment. You would have gone to him. But you couldn't you couldn't, you could only ly there in your coffin, unfeeling, unseeing._

He sighed and looked down at her. With in seconds the Morphine was already working. At first eh had wondered if half of it was psychological. He could only press the button ever so often and still have it work but he nurse had never given him an exact estimate. And yet every time he pressed it he almost instantaneously felt better. Half of it definitely had to my mental. He had of course shrugged it off. He figured if it made him feel less of the pain than so be it. Messing with his head or not it was better than nothing. He looked down at the small sleeping black diamond against his bed. She was in a very what you might call cute position. It wasn't sexy by any means having all the fatigued signs of a bored and exhausted high school student falling asleep in class, but it was cute. Her arms lazily crossed and her face so sweetly leaning against it. Her long night black hair had lightly fallen across the open expanse of her cheek. He liked that hair. it was wild but still controlled. Beauty in the mess. The mixture of curls and straight made it look absolutely perfect.

_Of course your prince lifted in to action. He used that same steel sword he had intended to thrust through your heart to hack away at that horrible ice. He smashed and hacked away at every inch making that horrible ice screech and hiss as the realization sunk in that this prince would not stop and that he intended to beat this unwelcome guest. He indented to free you Snow White from that prison. But the prison guard will not let you leave with out a fight it will not let you go. So just as that prince breaks that ice off in chunks the ice continually fights to grow to expand. To claim you in your slumber and drag you down to a glass coffin adorned grave. As he cleared the ice for the lock he searched for the key frantically until he saw it. Tied to that beautiful rose you plucked the Queen had insured that no one would be able to get to you not even her own son. She had tied that black ribbon around the stem knowing full well the golden key connected to it was to that glass coffin. This horrible race is weighted indeed…_

This time with much less pain Light reached down and dusted his fingers across her _skin as white as snow _brushing away those cold dark strands. She reacted to his touch moving her face in to his hand, he smiled at that, and she turning her head more so that now her dark lashed eyelids were visible and those thin red lips in just the perfect spot too—

_Your prince never gave in though at that moment. Seeing that key seeing the few only glimmers of hope he stepped forward he stood over you atop your glass coffin. He peered down at that white as snow skin and ebony strands stolen form the nights' sky. He held the sword firm. Knowing now there was only one way in to you. There was only one way to save you. He lifted the sword above his head heaving the heavy steel poised and ready to do what must be done. He stopped before he did it he stopped and he looked at you, wishing those starlit eyes open. Then he whispered simple words to you for his future actions, declaring them to you and at eh same moment in a comfort that what the outcome may be good or bad that he did not intend for and ending such as this. That he in his malice and hatred had gone against his own fairietayle and like you was now blazing through he pages in eh opposite direction and rewritten ever word and every syllable. Declaring that he loved you ad that he wanted nothing but to free you ad all pain that came form his actions were done because they were needed and the only thing he regretted was hurting you. _

"_I'm sorry." Then he let the sword descend accompanied with his cry. As it hit your coffin the great crashing of the glass let out an awful sound. A screech of the most agonizing kind. A screech to bring this prince to his knees and to make even that Wicked Queens frail remnants of a heart quiver. A cry of pain far more than any ever heard yet on earth, the only question is was it yours or was it that of your prison guards? _

He was quite abruptly hit with inspiration. He smiled wagering a second to act upon it or leave her slumbering form be. He smiled as he very gently not to wake her just yet slide onto his side. He peered down at her curling his body just so that as he got up on his elbow he was just inches from her…

_Fair Snow White your coffin is being destroyed and yet you still sleep on. Your body bleeds and the shards are crashed down upon you, just as the blood of the prince so mix's with yours. The first several hacks of the sword were not enough to be able to lift your form from your coffin, so in the same second he tossed the useless shattered steel away started in with his hands tearing away at the glass. Ripping it out of the golden framing and trying so desperately to free you trying to desperately not to loose you to this war with the ice…_

Light leaned over her softly breathing body lost deep in slumber. He stopped so close to touching her, and rethought his actions. If she didn't want this, if she didn't want him… he swallowed hard lying a gently hand on her head as he bit his lip for a second before leaning in…

_Crimson hands tore away at it swiftly as he fought to beat the race to her. The ice was now moving much faster fearing that it may yet loose and feeling the rush as it's prize was laid out before it and with the coffin shattered aiming for your heart now Snow White. Now was the chance. the ices chance to drag you to a finally grave that no kiss could break that even the Wicked Queen herself could not raise you from. Icicles formed rapidly only to be thrashed away by blood soaked hands. The glass was busting as the ice forced its way through. I creped up that fine silken gown and sought to get through that maze of ebony hair. The only problem was the ice was evenly matched as it sought your heart so was another. Your fair prince. When he stopped, he looked down at your slumbering form and suddenly plucked up the key taking the small golden thing. Your heart was his and now he had the key to your glass coffin and would never let you lock him out again. He then cleared away as much of the glass he could leaned in a second later... Placing his hands on either side of her face and leaning in ever so gently…_

The touch was tentive as his lips pressed against hers. It was soft, but no fireworks exactly. Of course who needed fire works when you had honey? And then again there were fireworks in a way as he ever so gently kissed her the morning sun ever so slightly crept in through the blinds and shined out over the two…

_As your starlit eyes opened did you realize you were kissing your prince? As his blood slick hands lifted you from your creation and sin did you even think that this was he? Of course you did. You knew the second his lips touched your red as rose ones. You knew this was the man you dreamed of the one your heart belonged too…_


	6. The Shadow over Prince Charmings Heart

The Shadow over Prince Charming's Heart

Waking up was well—

I—

It was—

Wow…

That's right one word. Light laughed a bit in to the kiss as my hand went to his face. I touched his cheek and ran it over the shadow of a beard he was slowly growing. The whiskers were ruff against my hand. He leaned deeper into the kiss, and then abruptly broke it pulling his lips from their seal on mine. I blinked several times looking at him and he swiftly sat up looking down and still smiling. I lifted my head sitting up.

The room was lit up brilliantly with the first rays of the sun. it was warm in the room and so amazingly bright as the golden blanket of the sun seemed to be caste over us and through out the room touching Light and making every piece of him shine from honey sparkling eyes to his golden flecked auburn hair.

"Good morning," Light said. His hand ran over the side of my face stroking the hair away from my face. "How are you this morning?"

I smiled. "I feel cleaner and less fatigued for sure, and how was your night in the hospital?"

He gave a frustrated deep and heavy sigh.

I laughed once. He slid over on the bed as I got up and I sat on the edge. "Was it really that bad?"

An arm snaked around my waist and pulled me all the way on. "It was horrible." He said. He stuck his thumb out to the door. "You know that nurse that came in just as you left?" I nodded. "Well, she came in every hour on the hour just as bouncy and as horribly happy as ever." He said it in a dark almost murderous tone.

I smiled at him. "Long night?"

"Disastrously long night!" he hissed.

I leaned back down to the raised head of the bed. Light leaned down too. I let my headrest on his shoulder. We laid there for several seconds just staring up at the ceiling until I frowned suddenly. I turned my eyes up to him. "How old are you?"

He cocked his head slightly as he looked down at me. "Excuse me?" he said.

"How old are you?" I repeated.

He blinked several times. Before stumbling through an answer. "I'm uhm, twenty two. Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh, no. I was just wondering."

"What do you mean you were just wondering?" he said with a bit of amusement.

"Well I didn't know how old you were." I said as if it was a 'duh' statement.

"Well, why does it matter?'

It was my turn to cock my head this time. "Why does it mater? If you were amazingly older than me this would just be weird."

He stopped at that. Then spoke trying to sound hopelessly innocent. "Well how old are you?"

My mouth dropped open. "You don't ask a girl that!" I said in shock then hit him on the shoulder.

His gasp of pain made me jump my hands going to my mouth. "Oh, my gosh! Light, I'm so sorry!" I gasped and he groaned in pain. Then he turned his head over as my hands went to his shoulder and when I looked up.

His lips brushed mine softly. I froze.

He pulled away a second later. "I feel better now." He said with a lazy smile. "And you didn't answer me by the way."

My mouth dropped open again. "I am not going to answer your question." I said.

"Why not?" he said disappointed.

I turned my face away. "Because you don't ask a lady how old they are."

"But if you're amazingly older than me this would just be weird." He grinned pointing my reasoning back in my face.

I looked up at him. Not saying one word. He raised his eyebrows. "So?" he said.

I sighed folding my arms over my chest. "I'm nineteen." I groaned out.

"Wow."

"What?"

"I thought you were older than that."

Bam!

I hit him again in the shoulder. He deserved that. I turned away from him, wiggling to get off the bed. He moaned miserably before reaching over to me.

"No, I didn't mean it! You don't have to leave?"

"I look too _old_ to be in this situation." I said not looking at him.

"Joan," he groaned. And sat up wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me back on to the bed. "Come on I didn't mean it like that."

I looked back at him. "How did you mean it if it wasn't like that?"

"I meant, that I thought you were only about a year younger than me, not three."

I signed. Before sitting back a little leaning in to his warm embrace before I looked up sadly. "Do I really look twenty one?"

He smiled sure he had the right answer this time. "No."

"So I look juvenile?"

His mouth opened slightly at that. He coved up his gawking for a second before speaking. "No, you look nineteen. You look a beautiful nineteen." He said trying to turn this around.

I smiled at him and sighed. I leaned back into him a little more. "I guess that works." I said with a confident smile. For once I had sent him stuttering, not the other way around. He smiled and leaned in nuzzling my neck. I stifled a laugh as his fingers tickled my sides.

Then there was a loud ring. He looked back over his shoulder at the phone on the side table and I peered around him at it. He pulled himself up on to the bed and I reached around him to the phone, designating myself the one to answer it.

"Hello?" I asked.

No answer for a second until. "Is this Light's room?" I furrowed my brow. It was a very feminine voice.

I looked to Light. He smiled at me clearly unable to hear.

"Yeah, this is his room." I said.

"Oh, well can I talk to him Sayu?" I blinked at her very cold tone it suddenly took on and at the very sudden labeling.

"Uhm, sure." I said anyway and held the phone out to Light.

He took looked at the phone. "It's for me?"

"Apparently, they at least didn't want to have a conversation with me." I said offering the phone closer.

"Who is it?" he asked as he took the phone. He didn't bother to cover the mouthpiece.

"I don't know some lady." I replied back.

He shrugged and raised the phone to his ear. The long cord still stretched to the base on the side table.

"Hello?" he said dully.

"Liiiiiiggggghhhhtttt!" even I could here this. He jumped a bit holding the phone away from his ear. We exchanged looks before he replaced the receiver and spoke.

"Uhm, yeah hi."

There was a muffled set of words on the other end of the line.

His face suddenly went hard and he looked to me. "Oh, hi Takada."

I froze. That was the name on the card. So it was her calling. There was another string of mumbo jumbo I couldn't make out coming from the phone.

"Look, I don't think that would be best, Takada."

A few more words.

"No, I don't think that would be the best idea right now."

Now few more sharp sounding sentences.

"No, could you please not." He said his voice was cold now not sweet smooth or charming as it had been with me.

"That's not necessary." He said before more sharp words came from the receiver .

"You'll get the very same answer over the phone as you will in person." The words coming out of the small speaker raised in pitch now.

"You're where?" his eyebrows shot up in surprise. A giggle, I think, then more mumbo jumbo.

Light raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Takada, please just leave it alone. There is nothing left to recover."

"No, I'm not going to go with you! I've been shot for heavens sake!" he hissed the words out.

"You know what, yes, there is someone else." He paused to look at me then spoke on cutting through a reply on the other end. "I don't want you here Takada and I've moved on, you should try to do the same."

"No, this has nothing to do with my father."

"Yes, I do realize that."

"Takada, don't, please, just let it be for once."

His face suddenly changed. It was harder and angry almost. "Fine then, you want proof come. See it for your own eyes. I'm done with you Takada. I'm done with waiting for you to finally come around and act like you love me, and you know I think I've finally realized you were right, it was just the sex." There was a loud response shouted in to the receiver until he took the phone leaned back and slammed it down on the base. He huffed out a sigh as he leaned back up to me. He suddenly looked very ashamed.

I smiled a comforting smile. Then I leaned in and pulled my arms around him. "Thank you, Prince Charming." I whispered. I rubbed my hand over his shoulder chaffing my hand across the hospital scrubs. I wanted him to know I was so happy and I don't know proud over what he had done for me. My mind still told me it was a split conversation over the phone. We weren't out of the water yet. But I had told him to prove it too me and so far he was seeming like he was doing the best he could.

A part of me still worried. Still wanted to have something final something more than sweetly said words in my ear. He had rejected her, but I asked my self to what end? To what end was he willing to go.

He sighed again and hugged me to him. "I'm sorry," he pulled me with him to the head of the bed more.

I leaned into him. "Hmmm," I sighed. I let my head lean in to his should and feel the warmth he emitted through this veins. I wondered distantly, could the moon be warm? If Light really was for the sun, I can see why, but what if the moon could be warm too. Maybe like a warm summer night or a thick coat in the dead of winter. I don't' know. It was ever the mystery.

"I –I'm really glad you're here." He said.

I smiled and looked up at him. "I'm really glad you want me here."

He smiled at me and leaned a kiss on to my forehead. "I like the color of your hair," he said against my skin.

I leaned up a little more to look at him, "You like the color of my hair?" I repeated. The Adonis was complimenting me?

"Yeah, I really do." he said sliding his fingers through the coal dark tangled strands. "It reminds me of Snow White." He smiles again. "Ebony strands that were stolen from the darkest night." He leaned forward kissing my forehead again. "It's like a piece of the night sky I can run my fingers through."

I raised my brow. "Are you joking around?"

"No," he said. "I really like it."

"But it reminds you of Snow White though? Come on, you can not tell me that's not a little jokingly." I said.

He smiled. "Well I don't know, ever since you made that comment about you being Snow White—"

"If you were a God of Death." I interjected him.

"Well yeah, but I just sort of liked that analogy of you as Snow White." He smiled very charmingly at me flashing all of his brilliant teeth and showing me why I loved his face so much. "It was really cute."

I looked at him. "I am not convinced that you are Hades in the least bit." I said to him trying to convey how silly he was for thinking me Snow White.

He pulled his arms tight around me puling me him to his chest and hugging my close. "Than believe me to be Eros, my Snow White" He said in my ear.

I sighed and let him hug me to him

Just then the nurse popped in. "Hello!" she was bouncy and overjoyed and over excited and clearly the nurse that Light had spoken of this morning. I saw Lights face go white. I smiled an amused smile.

She bounced over to the side of the bed and to Light. "Well hello there!" she way too happily greeted me.

"Hello." I said cheerily back.

She smiled at me then looked to Light. "We get to take the IV out!" She said as if she just won the lottery. I can see why Light's night was filled with zero amount of sleep.

"Uhm, thank you?" Light tried.

"Oh, its fine you cute you don't have to thank me now let me see your arm. "

He tired to pull it across but the IV was a little restricting. The nurse let out a shrilly hyena laugh.

"Oh, silly me." she hurried around to the other side of the bed. "I forgot about that." She took hold of Lights arm and quickly snapped the tube from the needle. Then she started to unwind the sticky lime green tape holding it to his arm. "Oh, you probably can't wait until tomorrow, and then you get to go home."

I looked up at him. "You didn't tell me that?" I said up at him.

"Oh, I get to go home tomorrow." He said with a smile.

I shook my head at him and went back to watching the nurse.

She swiftly rolled up the tape and then went to the needle. It protrudes out from his wrist and she grasped his arm firmly before pulling the needle quickly out. I felt the vibrations in his chest as he groaned at the sensation. She smiled up at me and disposed of the needle, tape, and little connecter thing to the tube. Then she pulled out a Band-Aid and stuck it on.

"Alright, all done." Light wasn't paying her any attention looking down at his Band-Aid so I answered her.

"Thank you." I said. I smiled at her as she left the room and Light just kept looking down at his Band-Aid.

I watched him flexing his arm silently as he tightened his fist and relaxed it watching the band-aid stay firm with the movements. I finally spoke after a moment shifted off to his side more and took his now free to move arm looking it over. I smiled amused.

"I like the transformers Band-Aid, it's hot." I said trying to keep a straight face.

He looked up at me smiling. "You know I always wanted to be a Desepticon instead of an Autobot."

I raised my eyebrows. "You always wanted to be the bad guy?" I said.

He smiled at that for a second thinking it over it seemed. Then simply answered with a smile. "No, I just always thought they had cooler cars." He said.

I watched him. Wonderful Light. The great prodigy and beautiful son. Perfect Prince of the castle. Loving, kind, beautiful, charming, affectionate, and all around perfect guy. He was the all star, the everything to his parents and the rest of his family. He charmed the nurses when he didn't try and made woman second-guess themselves. He was everything. He was everything, and yet, he wanted to be the bad guy. Deep down in that big heart there was a shadow.

I watched him looking down still at his yellow, red, and blue Autobots Band-Aid. That sunny exterior still held me in. charming meant a good liar. I guess that meant a good actor too. Was he really the villain deep down in all of this? Could he be the villain in all of this? Of course, he could. I brushed a piece of hair away from his face still looking at him. Something had changed in the room. He was like a little kid looking at his Band-Aid severely disappointed.

He was disappointed I think. He was disappointed at him self a little I think. That he had been labeled the perfect hero yet again. That he was Prince Charming yet again and that he had done it himself. He was my hero though. He was good, but clearly there was something else. Something that didn't want to be good anymore.

I looked over at the apples. Oh, Prince Charming you were more than that weren't you? You are the Wicked Queen aren't you? You have caste your spell over me and I've drank in your poison. I've bit into the apple and let you win. I'm lost to you now. Will I survive with you gone? I don't know.

I leaned my head on his shoulder. I guess I'm just going to have to find out tomorrow.


	7. The Spell is Broken

The Spell is Broken

I felt like the hospital was part of his spell. It was an essential part almost. It wasn't the real world there. There we had flirted and cuddled and talked like lovers. It was a little world where we had pushed every thing and everyone else aside and it had just been us. We didn't play those silly little flirting dating love games only some how decided I like you, you like me lets try to make this work. Just that simple and yet we had made everything so complicated. And absolutely beautiful. But now as I sit on my bed I realize when I left I had left for good. My questions of if my Prince Charming was the Wicked Queen gone unanswered. And more over the question of if I would survive with out him was answered. I most surely would. With all the _light_ gone I'd simply just go back to my gray overcast city. It was all clear as I had bid him a sweet farewell and trudged back to this apartment. I didn't need him to survive. I simply needed to keep going. I had done it before and I'd do it again.

As always the night shone into my room. I sat on the bed and looked out through the sliding glass doors. What had changed in less than a few hours? That morning I had been so sure I was his. He had even rejected that other girl for me, but that was in the hospital. And as I said the hospital was a part of the spell.

I sighed. Was the hospital the steel thread?

Had it been the thread the whole time and now sitting alone in my room was I only realizing it?

The chemistry set had seemed to run out. The little experiment blown up in our faces. But it didn't. It hadn't been any different. Ha, he had even picked up on things I hadn't imagined he would. He had called me Snow White for heavens sakes. He was the perfect Prince casting his wicked spell over me. But I had taken the spell and accepted it snuggling into his arms. And that night he had stopped it seemed. He had ceased to try creating his spell. The charm had been drained the honey hidden away. He had closed up on me.

I blinked as I looked at the moon. But it had. It had been different. Light had been different. Not outwardly but inwardly he had changed. He had settled something or had he started something? Had something been triggered? Was I being silly?

Ha.

I breathed out slow and steady listening to the quiet sound that filled the room with my breath willing it to be filled with the swirling of my thoughts and my theories, all floating around, the answers hovering just out of my arms reach. Nothing had changed and everything had. We were going back to our normal lives. I was going back to my job and he was going back to do… well I hadn't figured that out yet. Does Prince Charming even have a job? His family looked higher-middle class. Ha, I had almost forgotten. His dad was the Police Chief of all the things to be. Maybe he had followed in his fathers footsteps. So what did go wrong? Did he regret choosing me over someone else? Or was he just a fairietayle? Did Prince Charming decide that our happily ever after was better spent apart.

I had tried so hard tonight. He had laughed at my jokes and hugged me too him when I had said something he liked. I had tried to play my part in the role of the Princess, but I guess I fell short. I had tried my hardest and it wasn't' what he wanted. I guess he didn't want a Snow White. But, he had said—he just hadn't said anything. Not from the heart, at least. I guess love really was a two-player game and if the Prince drops out, the Princess is just left still trying to play and falling short.

The prodigy, in all its worst and best forms. He was amazing and brilliant, even down to his actions and every word that left his mouth. He knew what he was doing, ever second of every moment. So what had happened? Had I been wrong to think I could trust him now? He could still be lying to me. I hoped he wasn't.

I looked over to the door of my bathroom. I needed a shower. I sighed again. I didn't want to move. In the morning it would be even more real. Prince Charming wasn't here to stay, and that hurt. How did it hurt? Well it defiantly wasn't physical but it was. I didn't feel comfortable in my body. I couldn't get my joint to function or my legs to lift me. I was left at a loss at the prospect of being dumped. Change that. I wasn't being dumped. I had never really had anything. Nothing concrete, at least.

I wish this wasn't how things were. The world was hitting back now with a vengeance and it had already torn us apart. The world that was out side of that hospital had torn out little fairietayle in too threads and now I was just left here. Holding the little pieces of that destroyed bedtime story and wondering how it had happened. How had the world done this too us? How had we done this to each other? I wanted that fairietayle back and I wanted it back now. I wanted Light to be able to get out of the hospital I really did. But a part of me wanted him to never leave, to never have to leave and I never have to leave his arms. But of course we had to move on. We had to acknowledge the world now and we had to go back to it. We both did. My brilliant Prince knew it and I knew it. The difference seemed to be I wanted to rejected it will all my heart and just stay as we were and he had already started to let go.

But it's how Prince Charming had seemed to decide that it was going to play out. What was going to be my next move from here? I looked at my cell phone lying on the bed. He had programmed his cell number into the contacts earlier today. He had smiled while he did it and I was pretty sure had texted himself. He had my number. So do I let him act first? Or could I still fix this feeling? Could I make a new steal thread? I looked away to the city again. No. no, it wasn't going to be me to move first. Prince Charming had set our fall up I'd let him keep it that way. Besides love is a two player game and this princess cant' keep play fro two.

I'd taken the role of White up until now. I wasn't going to do it anymore.

I sighed and forced my bones to drag me from the bed. I would survive…I don't know how well I would live, but I would survive. I went in to the bathroom and started the shower.

I was back to ordinary again. I was back to Joan Night. There was no Snow White left. The fairietayle over, the prince had ridden away. I was simply left, as I was, a small person in a big city nothing special. In his arms I had been someone and in this city I was falling into nothing. The poetic story had an ending and it had come with a whisper never spoken.

I stepped into the shower letting the warm water run over my hair. Draping it over my face and hiding me from the dreadful world. That horrible world that had taken my _light_ from me. I was doomed to an over caste sun forever and to simply stay.

I blinked several times diamond falling from my eyes. He had saved me and I didn't regret a second of it. Love is a game never poorly spent on. I would have done it all. I would have made every move. I would have moved every pawn and conquered every piece. I had played and played and would still if he had been willing. But now it was over I had woken up only to deal with heartache and now was where it all began.

The diamonds fell shimmering like no water drop could.

I woke up way later than socially acceptable and as I pulled my legs in to a slouched walk to the kitchen I looked at eh calendar. This was my last day at home and then I'd have to go back to work. I opened my fridge scratching my head as I looked at the contents. Or I guess I should say the lack there of. I yawned and went turned letting eh fridge close behind me making that little hushed, fwoop, sound as it did. I went to a cupboard and peered in. this was where my breakfast food should have been. I had no cereal, oatmeal or those little strudel things that were really good. All I really had was an old box of pop tarts. I snatched the box feeling the lack of weight I peered in it. Nothing. Great.

I tossed the box at eh trash and went over between the sink and my fridge. Under the top cabinets was something I knew had, coffee. I poured the water in the top of the little coffee maker and scooped some of the ground beans in with a little cup from the can into it then pressed the shiny brew button. It gave a loud beep and started up.

A few minutes later I sat at my little wooden table on a little retro 70's chair I had found at a yard sale. Very chic. I sipped the coffee as I went through the mail I had ignored for days. My cell phone bill and TV bill had come. Oh goodie. I had also received a collection of newspapers. I threw the old ones figuring old news was worthless. I started to flip through today's when I notices a pile I had forgotten. I reached across my table and picked up a letter addressed to me. it was hand written n blue ink. I took another sip as I opened it and fiddled with getting it open a second before I pulled out –

Mr. Greens funeral announcement.

I gave a gasp as I looked at it. It was to day. I looked at the clock. I had about an hour. I got up from the chair quickly.

As I walked back in to my apartment I set my keys on a small table I had set by the door for that exact cause. I then turned to the living room. It looked very cold and uninviting. I walked into the kitchen. My black heels making a clicking sound over the linoleum. I was in a long black conservative dress with my long black coat to keep out the cold.

It had been a really nice service. His family had hugged me—good thing I had had practice. The graveside had been very wet and cold and very uncomfortable. I had left a bit early just for that reason. I didn't like wet very well. I could handle the cold, but wet was like loneliness in liquid form. It seeped it to every thing and helped nothing. It was unpleasant against your skin and made everything colder when a breeze hit it. And nothing helped but time. Nothing but time. It didn't matter what you did, if you had a wet shirt or something. You could take a blow dryer to it and in the end it would just go away when it wanted it to and never when it should. Never quick and never at the perfect time. It was all about letting time heal. Of course all wounds still leave scars.

I walked to the window at the sink. A typical over caste day in New York. Perfect. I looked across my apartment. It felt empty. There was so many things I wanted to say to anyone that would hear at that moment and some many things I wanted to cry about. So many emotions and a sea of confusion and misunderstanding. My thoughts were streaming out like an AM radio and it was pure music. It was all instrumental and a sonnet, ballad, everything needed to make a perfect symphony. And everything that was needed to make a disaster at that moment. It was thumping through my apartment and drumming through my heart tying little strings around and around my heart stealing it away into a tinny little _glass_ box. It was curdling bloodthirsty metal and gasping brilliant indie rock. It was a horrible beautiful song that could never be recreated in a movie, or on CD. I looked away from the window and it stopped.

All the notes dropped and the room fell silent. I had returned to the world. The horrible sinister world where dreams never come true and thoughts were never whispered songs. Where true love and honey-glazed charm don't exist.

I walked from the window out of my kitchen to the coat closet. I pulled the long black coat off my shoulders and hung it on the rack on the back of the door. I stopped as I realized I had left my chap stick in the coat pocket. I reached in to it and found a small piece of paper in it too. I pulled it out and unfolded the small yellow post it.

_Tylenol_.

The words were written in a large print in a scrawled fashion. I felt it snap then. All those tinny little strings trying to pull my heart back into that little glass box. They snapped and broke as my heart beat in full bloom. It sounded in my ears and thundered through my frail frame. I let out a gasping sob as I looked at the small piece. I could have gone to any drug store to get it. I could have gone to any other, but I didn't I had gone to the drug store I'd always gone too. Not the one that was closest but the most familiar. I couldn't step out my routine for a thing not even a shorter walk. I had gone to the one place I new and found something I didn't. I had been saved there by a tall honey eyed boy with golden auburn hair and a crooked smile. Another sob broken through the surface with a loud thunderous applause from my pounding heart.

That simple little boy had done this too me. He had broken through it all and saved me and now I was _feeling_. New York wasn't cold or lonely anymore. No it was bright. Everything in the room was bright. It was sobs and wails and diamond tears all painting a masterpiece of color and design, it all was perfect like the song, but more so, because I saw it now. I took the paper back to my room as I went and laid it on my dresser. I then turned to the calendar. I looked at it. And sucked in a breath before standing fully upright, facing it. I took a marker and crossed over today.

Day one.

The steam seeped through the apartment and through the kitchen. The sound of running water being heard all that way from the bathroom. Where in that small apartment a single young woman lived she had indecently left her cell phone on the white counter near the sink. It usual home when said apartment inhabitation did not feel as if she needed to pay attention to the important little phone.

It was a small black phone, nothing special or expensive. It was all the poor girl really could afford. It just lay there lazily enjoying the warmth of the sun coming through the window and soaking it up. The black surface gobbling it up like electricity when it was charging. Just as it should sitting there on the counter being admired by the other appliances. As a way to say, "I and the one thing she takes with her everywhere and I have felt it my duty to grace my greatness with all of you others." Just a lazy day being worshiped by even the sun and admired by the toaster.

Suddenly it buzzed. A little noise of the vibration on the counter accompanying it. Little lights and short buzzes started going off. Its little face lit up with a small banner of _Light! _Above that the words _Incoming Call_. The phone buzzed a jiggled with excitement as it realized who was calling. This was him! This was her boy. And being the little important phone it was it was bringing the message and beaming it for the girl to see and hopefully hear. It was as if the little phone was doing a victory dance cross the eggshell counter. It started to slowly vibrate across the counter until suddenly it stopped. Close to the end it didn't look where it was going with it's victory dance. A little jingle played as the words _Missed Call_ appeared. Showing out proudly as a messenger raising their head and puffing up their chests to give such and important message. And then horribly close to the edge it gave another little buzz.

The little buzz had been just enough to send it tumbling to the ground hitting its side and the little button located there. The face cleared as it flashed an _Ignore_ sign and locked the precious missed call away. That's when the water stopped. Wet feet paddled across the linoleum a few minutes latter. A long fingered hand reached down and pulled the phone up. Two starlit eyes looked over the face and then flipped it open. The desktop stared back at her with the time.

"That's weird." She said and set the very important phone on the counter feeling no drive to further investigate.


	8. And Yet True Love Remains

And Yet True Love Remains

I quiet. It was two simple words I had said it over the phone. How—I—this was—I just quiet my job! What the heck was I doing? I have too—I got too—what am I—I quiet my job!

I stood there those billion thoughts running through my head. I leaned against my counter in my small apartment just completely floored. At myself, at what I had just done. I had quiet my job. A white coffee cup was in hand filled with my now cooling coffee. I remember making the coffee. It was right after I had called work and quiet my job. I remember because I need it to wake me up a little. It felt like it had taken hours and now all I wanted was to drink it, but I can't seem to remember how to do that. Because you see right before I made this coffee I had—

Quiet my crappy job.

I held the coffee cup with both hands. I was wearing a deep red fitting long sleeve shirt and dark blue skinny jeans. I looked around my kitchen as I just still stood there. Both of my hands warmed by my cooling coffee. I had a twinge in the back of my head telling me to drink it. With that twinge was the instruction manual to do so. So I did. I raised the cup to my lips, opened my mouth, to receive the warm liquid—

And gagged.

Bwwwuuu!

I spewed the horrible black coffee into the sink next to me. I coughed several times dispelling the awful taste. I spat and coughed more finally dragging in a heaving breath. I set the coffee down placing my hands on the sink rim, still spitting and sputtering.

After a second I pulled a kitchen hand towel, hanging up on the oven handle and wiped my mouth.

"Yuck." I voiced to no one in particular. It's a good thing too since no one else was in the apartment so that would be just weird. And I didn't want any thing weird really happening, that would mean I really was insane.

The insane never acknowledge they're insane, sounded in my head.

I told the voice to shut up.

It told me insane people talk them selves too.

I told it to shut up again.

It made a very rude sound resembling that of all the air coming out of the end of a balloon.

I stopped myself before blowing a raspberry back. I wasn't going to start getting into fights with myself now.

After I finished wiping my mouth I replaced the towel where it belonged on the oven handle and went to get some sugar and cream. Lots and lots of cream. Of course, once I got my coffee how I wanted it, it was cold. I swallowed it down anyway. I was an unemployed person now I had to cut corners wherever I could until I found another job.

Even if that meant drinking really cold coffee?

Shut up, I'm cutting corners.

Now I sat at the table. I had moved after gagging the coffee down and now just sat at my little two person wooden table in the middle of my kitchen. When had I made hot chocolate? When I told myself I was almost out of coffee—warning kids don't start talking to your self at home, it bad for your mental health. The only reason I was doing it was because I consider my self to have gone to mental hell already. I was sitting in the old kitchen chair leaning all the way over on my elbows on the table. My head was level with the white coffee cup in front of me. My chin resting on my elbows.

This couldn't be good for my posture.

Shut up, talking to nothing in my head isn't good for me period.

I'm better than nothing.

I told you to shut up.

I pushed the marshmallows around on the top with my spoon for several minutes. I think I was going to cry. I had quiet my job. I feel like crap. More than crap I am the scrum that feeds on crap.

But you're still alive!

Shut up already!

I half knew what he voice in my head was. It was me. Split personality aside it was just me. It was the hopeful me that was telling me I had lost the best thing I had ever had and now I really was tearing my life in to little pieces of confetti. And orderly little pieces of confetti.

What are you gong to do wait till the next parade and then throw them out in to the street, or keep them in a little glass box so you can look at them everyday?

When I throw them out you're going with them.

Only if you _let_ me go with them.

…shut up.

Hanging on, is worthless, utterly worthless. But here I was handing on to anything. Hanging on to a honey glazed memory and the result and was a me that wouldn't leave me alone and that wouldn't stop until I admitted to defeat. Defeat that I wasn't fine and that I wasn't okay. That I wasn't healing and that I wasn't going to be okay for along time. That I was crazy about a boy and for the first time in my life I regretted my actions. I regretted giving him up so easily and that I was feeling true sorrow and that it was the first real thing I had felt in a long time. That for the first time since I had ran away to this cold place I had started to move on and in doing so I had gone on to another heartache.

Why do I hurt so much?

Because you were numb. You were numb for a long time, and now your not…

I don't want to hurt.

…yes you do…you need to.

I would be a coffee-less jobless bum before long…I was already a jobless bum, now all I had yet to do was run out of coffee. I glanced over at the coffee machine and next to it the can that held my coffee. I had maybe three days left.

I'm doomed!

No I'm fine.

I'm going to die!

No I'm not!

I let the spoon clink against the side of the white cup and be still. The little marshmallows hot chocolate kept spinning and spinning and spinning. Kind of like my life spinning and spinning down the drain. I'm doomed. I'm going to die from coffee starvation in two weeks tops. I moved my arms off a little and started to bang my head against the table. I'm going to die! I'm doomed! I have no job! I'm now in the category of 'unemployed' otherwise known as a worthless bum.

Stop being melodramatic!

Stop talking to me in my head!

But I'm you..

Shut up!

…are you sure you want to be banging you head like that? You don't really have that many brain cells to spare really and I mean you're already having conversations with your self in your head and you know this can't be help—

Shut up!

Abruptly I heard a faint buzzing. Then a plastic thud. I looked down at the floor. My phone that had previously was on the hard top counter—which was where I set it after I had used it to quiet my job—was now buzzing and inching itself around the linoleum. It reminded me of a little kind of dance. Like a cheer up Joan you have a call dance. Silly little phone if only you knew that I was doomed to die in two weeks from coffee starvation. I reached down and flipped it open, bringing it to my ear in the same motion.

"Hello." I said dully. I was trying really hard not to sound like I hadn't just been banging my head against a wooden tabletop…and having a conversation with myself.

"Oh, Joan!" oh no. "We're here!" two simultaneous voices one proud and deeper but feminine and the other sweeter, higher pitched and feminine. No way to misdiagnose this, my aunts.

I almost fell off the chair to tell you the truth. I was floored—almost literally—

Yet again! This is twice we should make a habit of this.

We are not a we! I mean I am not a we! Oh, just shut up already.

I concentrated back on my aunts. And the problem they presented. I had forgotten they were coming.

"Joan?" Lucinda asked after a second. I hadn't spoken I was too busy hyperventilating.

And talking to me! my other self pointed out excitedly.

"Joan, dear are you okay?"

I stuttered through an answer. "Uhm, yeah, I'm uhm," horrible! A bum! A horrible worthless lunatic bum! "Good." I said.

"Oh, good dear now Jet and I are here at the airport. We just wanted to call and tell you that we'll be shopping." Shopping? What do these two have to shop for? If there was any two ladies more out of date than these two I'd like to meet them and introduce them to my aunts. Then watch the smack down of out dated-ness. My bet was on these two. "For a few hours then we'll be right up to your apartment." I was flustered.

I pulled myself up to look around my apartment. "Uhm, okay, how long do you think you'll be shopping?" I frantically started to look at my apartment. Five days with out a thing done cleaning wise and it was in poor shape. I snatched a bra off the living room floor on my way around to the couch. Oh, boy. I shoved the bra in the cushions.

"Well we're not sure it may be a while dear." Thank goodness. "But you never know we might have no luck and just come." Oh, no. I rethought the bra and yanked it out I shoved it in a basket of laundry and started on the couch my arms filled with cloths, potato chip bags and other odds an ends. As my foot pushed the afore mentioned laundry basket. I pushed, hopped, staggered over to the trash, disposing of the trash in my hands.

"Oh, my so uhm, you're not quiet sure."

"Well we'll be at least a few hours." Thank heavens I had at least a few hours. I chugged the hot chocolate slide the cup in to sink and pulled the basket back in to my room.

"Joan, are you okay, you sound a little out of breath?"

"I'm fine." I said standing. I yanked the covers up on the bed to make it sort of look made…very iffy on that 'sort of.' I started on the amour. I filled my hands with cups and plates that had been there for days and pop cans, candy wrappers, any, and everything that didn't belong.

"Alright, dear, oh and you don't have to worry about a thing we have a friend up here in New York and she has invited us to stay the night there, since we know it would be a bit of a squeeze in your apartment." That's an understatement. Just getting their entire collection luggage in here would fill a majority of my apartment ceiling to floor.

"Oh, uhm, who are you staying with?" I dumped my armload in to the sink and started chunking trash at the trashcan. I wasn't doing very well, most of it landing on the floor.

"Just Marge."

I stopped. "Marge?" oh, no. now they'd know I was a horrible, worthless, bum.

But not a lunatic! They still don't know about me.

You are me!

Nope, we are a we. I have just decided.

Since when do you make executive decisions?

Since you and me are the same person.

What? Oh, just go away already.

"Yes dear—oh, that's her now we have to go dear, bye!" I was left still holding the phone to my ear mouth handing open.

I had to go get my job back!

I snapped the phone shut shoving it in my pocket and dug into my small coat closet. I pulled out a small white jacket pulling it on grabbing my bag and went to the door I yanked it open looked up and froze.

Light, had frozen too. His hand was poised in the air mid way into a knock. He looked different that was for sure. A pair of designer sun glasses in his freshly combed auburn hair that still hung just right. That same long piece as always had fallen over his face. Surprised honey eyes looked down at me. He looked different in actual cloths now. A _So Cal_ black short sleeve shirt, light blue jeans, and white sneakers. Very causal yet sophisticated at the same time. I was suddenly reminded how tall he was. I hadn't noticed in the drug store and he had never really stood next to me in the hospital. I well I'm not going to lie I liked how short he made me feel at that moment.

"Hi," I finally, spoke. It was a little rough and high pitched as it came out, but hey I got it out.

He swallowed quietly and opened his mouth slowly dropping his hand. "Is this a bad time?" he asked. "Cause you know if it is I can go—"

"No," I stopped him. "It's a perfect time."

Liar, liar pants on fire!

What can I say? Shut up inner self!

"Oh, okay, uhm…" he stopped and then suddenly, well kissed me. He lunged across the threshold and grasped my waist pulling our lips into a seal. I was stunned for about the first few seconds. I then placed my hands on his shoulders, letting my eyes close slowly, and kissed back.

All too soon he broke the kiss pulling back stepping back through the door, over the threshold and outside. I stayed where I was standing at the doorframe looking at the floor.

"I well, I—" he trailed off. Then started again. "I tried to call but you didn't answer yesterday and it was busy a minute ago and I didn't think you would really be mad at me if I just showed up."

I looked up at him. "Light?" I said with estheticism.

"Yes?" it was sharp and urgent.

"I just quiet my job." I said as soberly as I could manage.

"You just quiet your job?" he said back, a bit confused.

I nodded slowly. "Yep." I said letting the 'p' pop as I said it. I then laughed. I started to talk again. "I just quiet my crappy job and now I'm a worthless horrible coffee-less bum."

Light smiled a bit cautiously. At this moment it wasn't hard to read him. Is she bipolar or psychotic? He laughed out a single laugh a bit nervously. "You really just quiet your job?"

I started to laugh harder. "Yeah!" I pulled in a breath and pointed to the counter. "I did it just this morning, I was standing at that counter I called my job and I quiet."

He was still confused, but now not as much letting out a real smile this time. "So you need another job?"

I laughed again. "Well, yes, but more over I don't have to go to work!" I said it excitedly. I started to laugh again.

Light didn't seem to know how to react at that moment. He held his hands out to me a little as if he wanted to hold me, or pull me in, or something, he just wasn't sure what.

"Uhm, so I am at a bad time?" he tried.

I smiled at him finally starting to stop laughing. "No, silly your fine." I said.

"Okay." He said. Then smiled at me. "So uhm, this sounds a little, well, uhm, you know, there's a little coffee shop down the street…" I put my hand up to still him.

"I'd love to go with you." I said.

He smiled, more out of relief I think. "Really?" he breathed.

"Of course," I said stepping out of the door and over the threshold. "Do you mind if we go to the grocery store on the way back though?" I said standing before him.

"Not at all." He said now that was the un-awkward Light I knew. The charm was like a sudden light switch—not that he wasn't charming before, it was just now there was that extra sound in his voice and that crooked smile was gracing his beautiful features again. I smiled as he laced his fingers with mine. I let him and pocketed my other hand as I let him smile down at me and claim me with his hand. Possessiveness at it's best.

"Why are we going to the grocery store?" he asked as I locked my apartment door.

"Well," I started rethought it and asked. "Would you be cool to meet my family?"

He blinked a couple times but answered. "Uhm, yeah that sounds cool."

"Good." I said as we started walking down to the stairs. "Because we are going to the grocery store to get food to make them dinner tonight."

He was looking down at me. "I was thinking of dinner alone, but I guess that works too." We made it to the stairs and started a descent. Holding hands and walking surprisingly didn't require that much coordination.

I laughed and kissed his cheek. "It's okay my family doesn't bite."

"I hope not," he said. "I've had it with hospitals."

I smiled at him. We made it out of the building and to the sidewalk. I looked up as held the door open for me. The sun looked amazingly bright. I shone down and caste an irreplaceable feeling of warmth in me.

Light led me out onto the street as we joined the rest of the New York crowd. I let him as I still looked over my shoulder. I could see the barest curved blue line in the sky. The moon was still out. I blinked several times as I looked out at that world. Light had me hand in hand. Here we were out in the world as two fairietayle lovers facing the world and not letting it rip our story to sheds. I looked at him. He had saved me yet again. He had taken that second step and now we had a different fairietayle but it was still ours, it was still perfect for us.

Light grabbed the paper bag off to the counter at the grocery store as I paid and then I scooped up the other bag as I was handed my change. I smiled and thanked the cashier before I went to Light and smiled at him. He led the way out and I followed.

The automatic doors slid open for us and I stopped just after going through.

"What?" Light asked noticing. "Did you forget something?" he stopped turning back to me.

"No." I said and dug in to the bag. I searched around for a few moments before my hand resurfaced with a bright red apple. I held it up to my face looking at it for a second before taking a bite. I chewed it and looked to Light before offering it out. He smiled and took it in his free hand. As always the movement was effortless and finely articulated to match that smile. That wonderful crooked smile.

"Thank you." He said before taking a bite himself.

7/17/2009 2:19 AM

_And that is it. I'm done. Its complete. I have I think possibly at most one reader, lol, but I wanted to finish this. I wrote this whole thing last year if you notice. I just well no one was reading so I didn't continue. And now I'm done. I'm working on Part II in my spare time and still deciding if I will really post it or not. But thank you if you ar reading this and I hope that I have inspired you at least in the least bit to do something yourself, even if it isn't writing. Cheerio! And I hope you enjoyed reading it. _


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